A Celebration of All Things NaruHina
by xHinaLovex
Summary: My contribution to NaruHina month 2015. Rated T just in case.
1. Sunshine

**Happy NaruHina month! This is my first time participating and while I'm sure I will not be able to post every day, I will do my best.**

**I'm not really sure what kind of length to expect out of all of these. I think it'll just depend on the prompt and how much time I have, but I hope you enjoy what I can get out!**

**Warning: I'm current with all but the movie and I have seen enough spoilers for it to have an idea of what happens so I may at some point in one of these stories have a spoiler or something. **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

**Day One: Sunshine**

When she was younger, she had thought her name to be a cruel trick of fate. Hyuga. Towards the Sun. Hinata. Sunny place.

Hearing such a name, anyone who was not acquainted with her would have assumed she was a bright, warm person. A small, quiet girl who often shrunk in on herself when spoken to was definitely the opposite of what came to mind when picturing someone with her name.

It didn't help that she resembled night itself. With hair the color of midnight framing two pale eyes that shone like the Moon, she was essentially the human incarnation of the nighttime. In fact, she was often told by her girl friends that night was when she looked best. Apparently, lighting was very important for appearance and while some people looked best in candlelight (TenTen) and some people looked best at dusk (Ino), Hinata looked positively ethereal in the light of the moon.

One day, however, Hinata picked up a book on basic astronomy while bored and suddenly her seemingly oxymoronic life made sense. It turns out, moonlight is actually sunlight reflecting off of the Moon. Meaning, the Moon shines thanks to the Sun. And Hinata had definitely found her Sun.

Uzumaki Naruto.

If Hinata was the human incarnation of night, then Naruto was the human incarnation of day. His eyes were blue as a cloudless summer sky and his unruly hair actually shone like gold in the sunlight. He was friendly and warm, and Hinata was in awe. He was strong and determined and she saw so much in him that she desired to reflect.

And so, Hinata worked hard. She trained and faced her weakness head on. She learned to get back up instead of staying down and pretty soon, she too began to shine.

Hyuga Hinata's life soon began to reflect her name. She worked hard to move towards her own Sun. To be by Naruto's side was her dream and that dream was something she was determined to fulfill. And after many hardships, many fights, and even some heartbreaking sacrifices, she found her sunny place.

* * *

Even decades into their relationship, Hinata would sometimes thank Naruto for helping her. He would shake his head in bewilderment, telling her that she was strong, that she had always been strong. They hardly talked to each other as children and if anything, he remembered her quiet encouragement and felt the need to thank her.

And she appreciated his faith in her. She appreciated the fact that even now, even after they had shared so many of their secrets and insecurities with one another, that he still considered her strong. She was his rock, his happiness and someone who had given him the family he had always dreamed off.

But to her, he would always be her sunshine. He would always be the inspiration that had saved her, that had given her light in a dark time and helped her become the person she was always meant to be.

And together, they shone brighter than anything.

* * *

**I looked up the meaning of her name on Google and went with the definition I saw most often. I don't actually know Japanese so sorry if there are any inconsistencies.**


	2. Training Together

**This is really like "training" together instead of actual training together. I'm not the most comfortable with writing fight scenes so when I saw this prompt, this popped into my head.**

**Plus, I haven't really had a chance to write Naruto and Hinata being smexy together. So, this gets a little hot, but there's nothing hardcore or anything so enjoy!**

* * *

**Day Two: Training Together**

An exhausted Hinata had just put one year old Himawari to bed and was trudging towards her own bedroom while contemplating her life. It was a life she had only dreamed of as a girl, something she never let herself hope too much for because she was afraid that if she did, she would not be able to bear the disappointment when it did not happen.

But there it was, she was married to Uzumaki Naruto, the man she had loved since before she even really knew what love was. And now they had two beautiful children - two beautiful, rambunctious, exhausting children.

Hinata smiled as she thought of the sweet face of her sleeping baby. Himawari had just begun to walk and while she was a fairly quiet child, she was also extremely curious. The former Hyuga had been very thankful that she had started sleeping through the night a few months ago. Between the rowdy 5 year old, Boruto, and the explorative Himawari, Hinata did not get much rest during the day. Therefore, as soon as her kids were down for the evening, she would make her way to her bedroom and relax.

Now that she had some time to herself, she planned to take a long bath and probably read a bit - anything to distract her from the fact that her husband was still not back from his trip. She had to admit that being married to the Hokage had many perks. One of these was the fact that he almost never had to leave the village. Unfortunately, this had somewhat spoiled her and now his absences were extraordinarily difficult for her.

Looking back on when they had first begun dating and they were both busy with missions, she could not fathom how they were able to cope with the long absences away from one another. Redness creeped into her cheeks when she remembered their first more… intimate reunion following Naruto's first mission away after their wedding.

There had been an emergency only two days after their marriage and as the Hokage-in-training, Naruto had to go. This was very unfortunate for the two love birds who had just discovered the wonders of complete physical intimacy. Their marriage had entirely joined them, both emotionally and physically, and the ANBU who had come to tell Naruto the news was visibly quaking at the angry vibes rolling off of the blond. Unfortunately, such intimidation would not get him out of his duty and so he had to tell Hinata goodbye.

It had been a very heated goodbye, but a goodbye nonetheless and so her husband's time away was filled with both sighing and wanting, as well as the usual worrying that he'd come back in one piece. When he had finally returned, Naruto had made certain that no one bothered them for days. She wasn't sure if it was the barrier seal he placed up or the noises coming from inside that kept people away, but she had thoroughly enjoyed herself.

Hinata sighed as she remembered the details of that night and the following days. It seemed that keeping her mind off her absent husband would be impossible.

As she opened her bedroom door and stepped in, she let out a yelp as she was grabbed from behind and pressed firmly against the wall.

"I've got you right where I want you, _hime_," the man said huskily, his hot breath on her neck sending shivers down her spine.

Honestly, Naruto was lucky that she was so familiar with his voice and scent or his arms would be as good as jelly right now from multiple jyuken strikes.

Instead of fighting, Hinata practically melted into her husband's chest as he started trailing kisses up and down her neck. She let out a moan as he began biting softly in between the kisses.

It had been a while, too long, really, but with two active children and a husband who was the Hokage, it had been difficult to find the time lately. So even before Naruto had left the village for two weeks, there had been some serious tension. Then there was the fact that she had gotten all hot and bothered on her way to the bedroom while thinking about their interrupted honeymoon.

At the first opportunity, Hinata turned around and puller her husband to her. He still had her pinned against the wall, but now she was the one kissing and biting and _god_ he loved it when she got a little rough. Her hands dug into his biceps as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he took the opportunity to move them both over to the bed.

As she lay back, feeling him nip and caress her over her thin blouse, she quickly felt the need to remove the clothing that stood between them. She was just pushing him away enough so that she could maneuver out of her clothing (and hopefully inspire him to do the same) when they heard a small voice say, "Mom?"

The Uzumaki couple froze for a split second before turning to see Boruto, standing in the doorway while rubbing his eyes.

"Dad? When did you get home?" he asked sleepily.

"Uh, heh, I actually just got back about fifteen minutes ago. You guys were already in bed so I was gonna surprise you in the morning!" Naruto replied, while rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Oh."

He was quiet for a moment before looking at his mother who was doing her best to calm her hair down.

"Are you okay Mom? Why was Dad on top of you?"

Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she let out a light nervous laugh, "Well, honey, your Dad was just… he was just helping me train."

Boruto furrowed his little eyebrows and cocked his head to the side, as if he sensed that the statement wasn't quite right.

"In your room?"

"Yeah, Son, your Mom and I aren't going to leave the house if you guys are here sleeping. That'd leave you all alone."

The boy who looked like a miniature Naruto reluctantly nodded his head, as if accepting the explanation.

Hinata had finally composed herself at this point and she walked over to her son and kneeled next to him.

"It's pretty late, Boruto. Do you need me to come tuck you in again?"

He yet out a yawn before shaking his unruly head of hair and saying, "No, I'm a big boy. I can do it."

He was rewarded by a warm smile and a kiss on the cheek from his mother and a pat on the head from his father who said, "That's my boy."

The parents stood outside their door watching until Boruto had gone inside his room and closed the door, before looking at each other and breaking into quiet laughter.

"Really, Hina? Training?"

Hinata looked embarrassed, but felt the need to defend herself. "Well, I wasn't going to tell him what was actually going on!"

"I dunno," Naruto said as he grinned mischievously, "You see how he dotes on Himawari. I bet he'd love another little sibling."

Her eyes widened and she smacked him on the shoulder. "You are too much." She tried to look stern, but couldn't hide her smile at her husband's antics. He was wiggling his eyebrows and it made her smile. She had missed him so much.

"Now," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and lead her back towards their bed, "I think it's about time we got back to what we were doing. I don't know about you, but I am feeling pretty _restless_."

His voice got lower and huskier the closer they got to the bed and as his lips covered hers, Hinata sighed in bliss and surrendered to the feeling of having her husband close once again.

* * *

The next day, Uzumaki Hinata was positively glowing. She flitted around the house humming and smiling and it was not difficult for their houseguests to figure out why.

Sakura was working with Hinata in the kitchen while Sasuke and Naruto talked in the living room, keeping an eye on their children. The pinkette leaned over while stirring and said quietly, "Well it looks like something or some_one_ got into you last night!"

Hinata eeped and nearly dropped the knife she was holding.

"Sakura, don't say things like that!"

Her friend just laughed and they chatted while finishing up the food. Once it was all set on the table, they walked into the living room to let everyone know dinner was ready. Instead of announcing the food, however, they walked in on a conversation happening between Boruto and his father.

"But I don't understand why you won't train with me!"

"Boruto, I already told you, dinner is almost ready. Your mother will be upset if you get too messy before dinner."

"Then we can train after dinner."

"That's a possibility, but we have guests and it would be rude to ignore them."

"Then we can train once they leave!"

"Maybe, we can talk about that later. But Dad's kind of tired. I did just return from that long mission last night."

"But that's not fair! You were training together with Mom last night in your room! And that was right after you got back!"

At this Hinata turned beet red and Sakura began snickering behind her hand.

Sasuke just raised a brow and looked at Naruto who was starting to sweat a bit.

"Training together? Is that what they're calling it now?"

At that the pinkette could no longer hold it back and she let out a full on laugh. Naruto looked worriedly at his wife, knowing she was still shy about this kind of stuff. Sure enough, her eyes rolled back in her head and it was only because he had the reflexes of a Hokage that he was able to catch her in time.

Naruto shot his best friend a nasty look for making his wife faint, but it quickly turned into one of amusement when Salada piped up, saying, "Boruto, we can train together sometime if you'd like."

The Hokage had to hold Sasuke back from electrocuting his son, reminding him that their kids didn't have any idea what their "training" had been alluding to.


	3. College AU

**Sorry I'm getting this up so late, but it ended up being pretty long! Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it so I hope you like it as much as I do!**

* * *

**Day Three: College AU**

Wide lavender eyes looked around, taking in everything she possibly could. Everything around her was so animated and lively and she was both excited and terrified at the same time.

Hinata had attended a private school until fifth grade when her mother died. After that, her father had become extremely protective of her and had pulled her out of school and hired a multitude of private tutors to cover all of the subjects she would have learned about in school and more.

Her life after that had been rather lonely and secluded. She had occasionally attended some business functions with her father, but was always flanked by one of her father's bodyguards/assistants named Ko. He was very friendly, and did his best to converse with her, but it wasn't the same as having others her age.

She sometimes would see another kid at the functions named Sasuke. He was the son of Uchiha Fugaku and second in line to take over their business. They were the same age, but the couple of times she had attempted to talk to him, he looked at her like she was trying to steal his soul and practically ran away. On her final attempt, he yelled, "I will not go out with you!" so loudly that many of the older businessmen looked their way and raised their eyebrows or snickered. She had been so embarrassed that she had not tried to talk to anyone else she saw her age again.

When she turned fourteen, tragedy struck the Hyuga household yet again and her aunt and uncle were killed in a car accident. Her cousin Neji, who was only a year older than her, came to live with them. He was surly at first, angry at life and anyone he considered to have it better than him, but one day he came home with a bruised face, busted lip, and warmer disposition.

Hinata was highly confused and didn't understand how getting beaten up equated to becoming a nicer person, but Neji was pretty tight lipped about the ordeal. All he would say was that someone had shown him the error of his ways and that he now knew it was up to him to make his life the best he could.

After that, they had gradually become close. Their relationship was rocky at first, but eventually he became both her older brother and closest friend. He was her only confidant and she loved him dearly, but she often wondered what it would be like to have another girl to talk to. When she finally gathered up enough courage, she had begun asking him questions about his friends at school. It seems that without her outright saying it, he could tell he was lonely and soon brought home a couple of students from his year for her to meet.

One was a boy named Rock Lee. He was loud and extremely energetic, but also very kind. His personality intimidated her at first, but she soon grew to understand that he could be both eccentric and sweet at the same time. Lee definitely brought some life into the subdued Hyuga household.

Hinata had been incredibly eager and anxious to meet the other friend Neji brought home. Her name was TenTen and she was pretty and full of confidence. It had been so long since she had been around any girls her age, the Hyuga heiress had been extremely shy at first. TenTen was patient, though, and slowly coaxed her out of her shell.

Neji, like all Hyugas, was a very private individual and Lee and TenTen were the only people from school he ever allowed into their home. Two friends were enough for Hinata, though, who had spent so many years alone with only her father and tutors for company and she was genuinely happy.

Once it had come time for Neji to go to college, Hinata had cried very hard. She was happy for Neji to be taking this next step in his life, but she was so sad to be alone again. Her cousin had held her close, rubbing her back and telling her that it would be okay. He had said that if she worked hard and applied to the college he was attending, he would do his best to convince Hiashi to let her attend.

Neji was nothing if not a man of his word and sure enough, when Hinata had received her acceptance letter that spring to Konoha University, Hiashi had reluctantly agreed to let her go.

When it came time that fall for her to depart, her father hugged her close and did something she had never seen before: He apologized. Hyuga Hiashi knelt down and begged her forgiveness for essentially locking her up for so many years.

He told her for the first time that her mother had died from complications from a pregnancy. At the time, they hadn't even known Haruka was pregnant and he was devastated to lose both the love of his life and their unborn child. Hinata was all he had left of his wife and he admitted that he had gone a little overboard when it came to making sure no harm would come to her.

Hiashi had never meant for her to be sad and lonely, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else. Neji had explained to him that he was doing more harm than good and that Hinata would eventually have to be a part of the world. If she attended the same college as he did, she would receive a solid education and would have himself and Lee watching over her. She was sad that TenTen would not be there, but her friend was studying abroad and would not be back until the following year.

So here was Hinata, grasping onto Neji for dear life as he led her around campus, showing her where all her classes were located so that she could find them when term started the next day. He showed her where his classes were located as well, in case she needed to come find him. They had cell phones, sure, and he was pretty sure that his number was one of only five in hers, but he knew she would feel less anxious if she knew where she could find him should anything happen.

Soon, the pair came across someone they both knew, Uchiha Sasuke. When Neji had begun attending the business functions alongside Hinata, she had discovered that he was familiar with Sasuke because they attended the same school and participated in many martial arts tournaments together. The onyx haired male felt bad about her hesitance to speak to him and had apologized for his behavior when they were children. She was not close with him as she was Lee and TenTen, but Hinata was happy to have someone else at the University that she was acquainted with.

The three were discussing their schedules - it seemed that Hinata and Sasuke would be sharing a couple of classes as they were both studying business - when they heard a loud shout from across the courtyard.

"Teme! Oy, Teme!"

Hinata winced at the language, and loud voice, but when she turned to see who was shouting, she was surprised to see the person coming their way. Apparently, he was addressing Sasuke.

As he got a little closer, the shy Hyuga's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. The young man with the loud voice was the most beautiful person she had ever set her eyes on. He had bright, golden hair that he obviously didn't bother doing anything with because it stuck up at all different angles, making it seem as if he had just rolled out of bed and run his hand through it. His skin was tan, darker than anyone she knew and he was wearing a blue shirt that drew her attention straight to his eyes. His eyes were an electric blue that mesmerized her and she found herself noticing the way they crinkled as he smiled widely.

He was the opposite of her pale, dark haired family and the dark haired men in equally dark suits that she generally came across at the business functions. He was new and bright and she felt her eyes go wide and breathing quicken as he came closer and closer.

"Dobe," Sasuke greeted him as he reached them and Hinata furrowed her brows, assuming that that couldn't be his actual name.

Luckily for her, her cousin answered her unspoken query as he, too, greeted the blond.

"Naruto," he said as he nodded.

The young man who was called Naruto smiled and greeted him right back, "Hey, Neji! Long time no see!"

As soon as he said this, a female voice piped in, saying, "Really, guys? What am I, chopped liver?"

It's a testament to Hinata's fascination with Naruto that she hadn't even noticed the girl with bright pink hair who was standing next to him. Had she been there the whole time?

"Hello, Sakura," greeted Neji, "I trust your senior year was a good one?"

She smiled and nodded and Hinata found herself slightly envious of her sparkling green eyes. She had always been self conscious about her own pale lavender ones, and looking at the beautiful girl in front of her made her feel even more unassured of herself.

"Of course, school wasn't quite the same without you, TenTen, and Bushy Brows, but we managed to have fun, didn't we?" Naruto exclaimed, addressing both Sasuke and Sakura as he put an arm around the pinkette.

Hinata felt her heart drop at the sight. Of course, the stunning man would have an equally stunning girlfriend. She quickly shook her head of those thoughts, however, knowing that she was at college to learn, not date. It's not like she'd even know what to do with a guy anyway, having grown up as she had.

Neji noticed his cousin shaking her head and pulled her out from behind him, where she had been standing and hiding as best she could. The newcomers quickly took in the girl with long midnight blue hair and wide, lavender eyes whose knuckles were practically white from holding Neji's arm so tight.

Knowing that she was incredibly nervous, Neji took the initiative and introduced Hinata.

"Hinata, this is Naruto and Sakura. I was a year ahead of them in school. Guys, this is Hinata, my sister."

"Whaat? You have a sister?!" shouted Naruto, which earned him a smack on the arm from Sakura.

"Cut it out! Can't you see she's shy? You're scaring her!" she admonished him and he looked sheepish.

"Sorry," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head, "It's just I never knew Neji had a sister. And definitely not one our age. I was just surprised is all. It's nice to meet you!"

The blond took one of her hands and grasped it warmly, causing Hinata's face to flush prettily.

She bowed to them both and said softly, "It's nice to meet you too, Naruto-san. Sakura-san. I hope you two have a lovely first year."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and looked from Hinata to Neji, then back to Hinata. After studying them for a moment, he stood back and crossed his arms.

"Nope, I'm not buying it. She is _way_ too nice and cute to be your sister."

Hinata's blush intensified at this statement and she felt herself getting a little lightheaded.

Neji just looked annoyed and said, "Technically, she is my cousin, but her father was my own father's brother. He took me in after the accident and she's basically been my sister ever since."

"If you lived with her, why didn't she attend school with you?" asked Sakura, curious as to why she had never before seen this girl.

Neji again answered for her, "Hinata was homeschooled. When I came to live with them, Uncle decided that there was no need to pull me out of school so I continued my education alongside you all instead of staying at home.

"You'll have to excuse her for being so quiet. The only people close to her age that she has spent much time with are myself, TenTen, and Lee."

Sakura looked surprised, but quickly turned to Hinata with a warm smile, "Well in that case, we were actually about to go get some lunch. Would you all like to join us? I would very much like to get to know you."

Hinata looked nervous, but after a soft, encouraging smile from Neji, accepted the girl's offer with a nod.

"Great!" Naruto shouted, startling Hinata. "I know this place nearby with some amazing ramen. You have to try it!"

The shy girl stifled a giggle. The blond's exuberance was contagious and she found herself starting to get excited as well.

"That sounds nice," she agreed much to the dismay of the others with them, who were not looking forward to eating ramen. "I've never tried ramen before."

Blue eyes grew wide as saucers when he heard this. It was unbelievable!

"You poor thing! We have to fix this right now!" he exclaimed as he grabbed Hinata's hand and began leading her away, much to the dismay of her cousin and amusement of his friends.

* * *

As their semester got underway, Naruto managed to find Neji and Hinata during lunch most days. He often came accompanied by Sasuke and Sakura, but sometimes showed up alone.

The blond would spend a lot of time at lunch telling Hinata all kinds of stories. He told her about pranks he had pulled, funny things that had happened in class, fights he had gotten into when he was younger, and anything else that would manage to make her smile.

Despite herself, the quiet Hyuga found herself falling deeper and deeper for the bright young man who would go out of his way to make her laugh. She knew that he was with Sakura and she felt awful, especially since the pinkette had been so kind to her, introducing her to another nice girl named Ino and inviting her to join them when shopping or hanging out.

Hinata never broached the subject with her friend because she felt like a terrible person and didn't want to lose one of the few friends she had. Instead, she suffered in silence for weeks, both longing for and dreading lunch time when she would get to spend time talking to Naruto.

One day, a few months into their semester, Neji had to leave lunch early to meet with one of his professors. He was reluctant to leave Hinata alone with Naruto, having noticed the blond's attentions toward her, but he trusted his cousin's judgment and knew that he couldn't address it without upsetting her. This left her and Naruto all alone.

Hinata had never really been alone with Naruto for more than a few minutes, and she was beyond nervous. He quickly noticed and leaned over, saying, "Relax, Hinata, I don't bite!"

The midnight haired girl blushed, ashamed that he had seen through her so easily. She gave him a small smile to show him that she was okay, and he grinned back. They chatted about a few insignificant things, before Naruto was the one who started to look a little nervous.

Hinata noticed him fidgeting and looked concerned. "Naruto, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah!" he said rather quickly. He gave a nervous chuckle before saying, "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, but we're never alone."

She cocked her head to the side, indicating that she was listening.

"I was kind of wondering if you'd like to hang out in the evening sometime. It's just that I never really see you outside of lunch and I heard that you went out with the girls a couple of times so I figured that maybe you'd like to hang out with me, too. But it's okay if you don't. I mean I realize you're probably pretty busy and everything and I don't want you to feel like you have to or anything, but I thought it could be fun."

Naruto realized he was rambling and stopped himself before he said something embarrassing.

Hinata just stared for a moment, unsure if she had really heard him right, before nodding slowly. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but she was pretty sure Naruto had asked her to hang out with him outside of school. She wanted to be able to say no, but one look at his face and she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Awesome!" he said, smiling wider than she'd ever seen. "I actually got your number from Sakura so I'll text you the details and we can meet up tonight or tomorrow, whichever works best for you."

He grabbed his stuff and helped her gather up hers since they only had about five minutes or so until their classes started up again. He gave her another heart stopping smile before waving and running off to make it to his class a few buildings away.

Hinata just stood there in shock.

* * *

The next night, Hinata met Naruto at a coffee house. It was popular amongst students as it had a lot of couches and arm chairs that made comfortable places to set up for a long study session, as well as a large variety of different coffees and teas.

When she saw Naruto standing at the door waiting for her, the Hyuga's heart began pounding and her breathing began to quicken. She had to remind herself that this was not a date and that she was just meeting him for coffee. She took a deep breath in and out to center herself, and greeted him with a smile.

Once inside, the blond purchased both of their drinks, with Hinata insisting that that wasn't necessary, and they made their way to a couch. They sat and chatted for hours, long after their drinks had run out, and she couldn't believe it when she looked around and noticed they were some of the last few people in it. When she checked her phone her jaw almost dropped as she saw it was almost midnight, and almost time for the shop to close.

The pair stood up, stretching a bit as they had been sitting for so long, and made their way outside. Naruto asked if Hinata had walked and when she affirmed that this was the case, he insisted on walking her back to her dorm, saying that it was too late for a young woman to be out alone.

She was hesitant, but when he pointed out that Neji would murder him if he let her walk back alone, she quickly agreed, knowing that what he said was true.

As they walked along, a comfortable silence fell upon them and Hinata found herself admiring the night sky and the feel of the cool autumn air. She felt eyes on her and turned to see Naruto staring at her intently.

"You know, you look really beautiful in the moonlight," he said, eyes not leaving hers.

Her breath hitched, and her cheeks gained the pink hue that so often colored them when around Naruto. He smiled when he saw this and said, "I also think you look beautiful when you blush."

She didn't know what to say.

The blond took a step closer to her and Hinata felt her heart pounding so hard she was afraid he would be able to hear it in the quiet that surrounded them.

"Hinata, I don't know if you know this, but I really like you."

It was like a dream. It was like a perfect, perfect dream and she thought that this couldn't be real, there was no way that this was happening. Suddenly, however, Sakura flashed into her mind and she gasped and took a step back.

Naruto looked slightly hurt, but looked at her as if waiting for her to explain. If she didn't like him, that was okay, but he needed to hear it from her.

"Naruto, we can't! I mean, I want to, but I shouldn't."

She tried to take another step back, but his stare seemed to have rooted her to her spot.

"Can you tell me why? I do like you, Hinata. I really do and I was kind of under the impression that you might like me, too."

Lavender eyes widened and she felt ashamed that she had been so obvious. Had Sakura noticed as well? How was she supposed to explain herself?

"I do," she said reluctantly, figuring that honesty was the best policy, "but I can't do that to Sakura. She's been so nice to me and I feel terrible!"

Blond eyebrows furrowed and he asked, "What does Sakura have to do with it?"

Hinata couldn't believe it. He couldn't be suggesting that they have some kind of relationship behind her back, right? Neji had warned her that men could be terrible, but Naruto seemed so noble!

"She's your girlfriend and she's my friend. As much as I like you, I can't do anything about it because I don't want to hurt her."

Naruto looked shocked for a second and Hinata turned to go, having a hard time keeping her tears at bay. She hadn't taken more than a step before the sound of laughter stopped her in her tracks. Bewildered, she turned back around to find Naruto clutching his stomach and laughing very hard.

Hinata finally let her tears fall, hurt that he would find her plight and his own infidelity so funny. When he looked up and saw her cheeks glittering with moisture, he felt terrible as he suddenly realized how this must have looked.

He quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, only tightening his hold on her as she weakly tried to push him away.

"L-let me go," she said, both sad and frustrated and sick to her stomach that there was a part of her enjoying the feeling of his arms around her.

She felt him shake his head and realized that he had rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Sorry, Hinata, but I don't think I'm ever going to let you go now," he said and she felt a new wave of tears come on.

"You have to! This isn't right and you're just making me feel worse!" she exclaimed, very upset at this point.

Naruto loosened his grip slightly and used one of his hands to tilt her chin up.

"Hinata, there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not with Sakura."

Her eyes filled with confusion so he decided to elaborate.

"I don't know what gave you that idea, but Sakura and I are just friends. We've known each other for a long time, but she's always had eyes only for Sasuke. Me and her have always strictly been friends."

Hinata felt like the was about to start hyperventilating. She had been so stressed about having feelings for him because of her friend and now it turned out he was actually available. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She wasn't saying anything, and Naruto watched, fascinated, as a wide array of emotions flitted across her face. He could tell, however, when her mind had started to calm and she looked up at him hopefully, as if wanting to ask him if all of this was true, but being too afraid.

And so, Naruto gently grasped her chin and looked into her eyes, saying, "I'm going to kiss you now. If you don't want that, this is your last chance to say so."

She looked surprised, but didn't say anything against it and he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

As their lips connected, she felt as if her stomach was doing cartwheels. She felt flushed and hot and giddy all at the same time and it was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced.

Her hands shyly grabbed hold of his shirt and he smiled into the kiss as he felt her do so. When they parted he looked at her, smiling goofily, and admired her rosy cheeks and red lips.

"Wow," Hinata breathed out, still a little lightheaded from the experience.

"Wow is right," Naruto said. He paused, looking unsure for a moment, before asking, "So, would it be okay if we did that again?"

He couldn't help but smile even wider at Hinata's eager nod and he quickly went in for another kiss. This was definitely the start of something special.

* * *

**OMG the cuteness. Seriously, this is enough fluff to make a bed out of. Anyway, don't expect them all to be this long, but hopefully there'll be another couple of prompts this month that inspire me as much as this one did.**


	4. Smile

**So I'm not sure what made me take a prompt that said "smile" and turn it into this angst filled thing, but I just couldn't get the idea out of my head when it popped up.**

**I always wondered how awful it would be to have Neji alive in the Tsukiyomi and then wake up to reality of his death. I figured it would hit her pretty hard.**

**Anyway, I wrote this on my iPad instead of my laptop so I apologize for any errors. I'll probably look through and edit tomorrow to see if there's anything funky.**

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**Day Four: Smile**

The guilt was crushing.

After Neji's death she'd had to be strong. She saw Naruto faltering and she pushed her own sorrows aside and pulled him back from the brink of giving up.

The enemies who were left had been strong, unbelievably strong, and she had known at the time that all she could afford to focus on was surviving and making sure that Naruto did the same.

Her time in the Infinite Tsukiyomi had been sweet torture. It was like living her life and watching a show of it at the same time. It felt wrong, but also so good and it was hard not to surrender her mind completely when everything she had ever dreamed was coming true.

She was with Naruto and he had actually returned her feelings. Neji had been just as overprotective as she had always imagined he would be when she started dating. He was determined to look out for her and would often follow them on their dates (sometimes accompanied by Hanabi) in order to make sure Naruto was treating her right.

He and TenTen had started dating and together Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi were working to abolish the curse seal. They wanted to pave a better way for their future children and were going to accomplish just that.

She had been overjoyed in the illusion and so had her friends and family. As Neji and TenTen's relationship had progressed, he had smiled more than she ever remembered seeing. It was beautiful.

Then, when the justsu was released and the illusion broke, she was left feeling empty and exhausted. Seeing Naruto alive and once again hailed as a hero brought a surge of relief and joy into her system, but as she began to look around, seeing bodies both live and dead littering the ground she was brought crashing down.

The adrenaline had worn off, survival mode had been shut down, and she was left with the knowledge that one of her most precious people wasn't coming home.

'But you just saw him!' her mind shouted in denial. 'He was with TenTen and they were happy and oh, how he was smiling!'

She knew, however, that it had been an illusion and her studies under Kurenai had taught her that it was important to ground yourself before succumbing to whatever you had seen. Otherwise you may never fully recover.

Unfortunately, that meant admitting to herself that her Nii-san was dead. He had died instead of her and his final act of protection ensured that they would never again see each other, never again talk or laugh or walk quietly through the garden and drink tea.

Neji was gone.

She watched as people began to collect the bodies, sorting through them to see if there were any who could be saved.

And it was just too much. She had to get away.

Hinata turned and ran. Everyone was busy either working or celebrating and it was easy to slip away unnoticed.

She ran until she could no longer hear anyone and looked around. She situated herself into a niche in the rock and dropped to her knees.

Her sobs were loud, loud and violent and she couldn't stop even though they hurt her and she was having trouble breathing.

Neji was _gone_.

Hinata was shaking. Her head was in her hands and she couldn't stop shaking. She was utterly devastated and the fact that she had _just_ seen him was taunting her because he had been so happy and all she could think of was how it would never come true.

And it was her fault. He had sacrificed himself for her because she hadn't been strong enough to do anything more than use her own body as a shield. His death was her fault and the guilt was overwhelming.

Suddenly she felt warm arms envelop her and she was pulled into someone's chest.

"Hinata, what do you need?" He asked, and she immediately recognized the voice.

"Naruto," she half whispered, half choked because her throat was raw from crying.

He had never seen her like this. He had seen her bloody, beaten, he had seen her a red, stuttering mess, but he had never seen her as broken as this and he was afraid. He knew he had to be there for her right now, be strong for her like she had been for him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please tell me what you need," he said, desperation creeping into his voice.

She looked up, and he could see the defeat in her eyes. He absently wondered if his own had looked the same back when she had had to snap him out of it.

"He-he was so happy. And I took it away," she said.

Naruto was confused, but wasn't sure how to ask her how to elaborate. Luckily, she continued.

"I saw him. He was in the dream I had during the Tsukiyomi and he was so happy! And when I woke up I realized that it will never come true. He will never have that and it's my fault!"

"Shh, it's not your fault," he said as he continued to hold her close.

Unfortunately, that was not the right thing to say and Hinata violently shook her head.

"No!" she screamed, "it was my fault! If I had been stronger or if I had thought of something else or if he hadn't felt like he needed to protect me then this wouldn't have happened! I couldn't do anything except stand in front of you and because of that he's dead! It should have been me, but _he's dead_!"

She was starting to sound hysterical, but Naruto just sat there listening, no matter how much what she was saying hurt. He knew he had to let her get it out.

"And now I can't even picture what he looked like when he died. All I can see is that stupid, stupid jutsu. I can't get his smiling face out of my mind. It's like my mind has replaced his death with images of him smiling and dating TenTen and helping me abolish the curse seal and it's torture because I will never see that. It will never be real life and he will never smile like that and it's all my fault!"

Hinata broke into sobs again and Naruto held her for a few more minutes, trying to formulate what he was going to say.

When she had calmed down again, he moved back a few inches and said her name.

"Hinata."

She wouldn't make eye contact, too distraught and too embarrassed and ashamed.

"Hinata," he said again, more forcefully this time and it sounded like the voice of a future Hokage.

She finally looked up and saw Naruto smiling softly at her, albeit with a few tears running down his face.

"It's true you won't see those things. And it's true you won't see him smile because of those things, but that's okay.

"He died protecting people he loved, not because he felt like he had to, but because it's what he chose to do. Do you see? Neji had always felt trapped and cheated by Fate, but at the very end he chose his own death. He spit in the eye of the force he'd hated his whole life and died by his own choice.

"You're not weak, it's not your fault, and I don't _ever_ want you to think that it should have been you instead. He died happy and he died free. He died to give us our own chance to live and be happy. Don't you think we owe it to him to do that?"

Hinata sat there and thought about what he said. He was right, he was absolutely right, and she needed to stop whatever this was and start honoring her cousin's sacrifice, just as she had told him to do. It would be hard, and she would miss him dearly, but she felt like now she could grieve and eventually move forward. She needed to move forward for him, for herself, and even for Naruto.

When she nodded her understanding, Naruto felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. She was still sad, but he could see the strength and determination creeping back into place in her eyes.

"Good," he said.

Hinata knew it would take some time to get over Neji's death, and she knew that she would need to be strong for Naruto and her family and Neji's teammates and everyone else who cared about her cousin.

She looked into Naruto's blue eyes and gave him a smile. It was small, and a little forced, but it was a start.


	5. Ramen

**I kind of felt like I should write something cuter after yesterday's entry and I really enjoyed writing that AU entry the other day so here's another AU for you!**

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**Day Five: Ramen**

Hinata walked into the Konoha Museum of Modern art and relished in the quiet that enveloped her as the door closed behind her. This was her space, somewhere she would go to get away from the demands of her family, her job, and sometimes even her friends.

Things had been rather crazy at the bakery this past month. It was coming close to June and that meant that brides were coming for cake consultations all day, every day. It was honestly her least favorite time because most of these wedding cakes were so basic, so unimaginative, that it grated on her.

She had gotten into cake decorating because she loved baking and she loved art. Most of the time she was able to express her creativity and Bakery Number Eight was becoming more and more popular because of the interesting cakes she had created. The downside to that publicity was an influx of demanding brides who were determined to get cakes there that they could have purchased anywhere else.

Hinata couldn't complain too much, however, because she and the other workers at the bakery had been profiting quite well. Kurenai was always nice enough to give her, Kiba, and Shino bonuses around wedding season to let them know she appreciated their extra effort.

That morning, after a few consultations that resulted in reservations of vanilla cake with white icing and either roses or lilies, she had gone out back to take a break. Kurenai had noticed her stress and offered to take the rest of the consultations for the day and let Hinata have the afternoon off.

Normally she would have refused the kind offer, but all she wanted to do at that moment was get away and so she thanked her boss profusely, grabbed her purse, and made her way across town to the Museum of Modern Art.

She noticed a sign off to the side for an exhibit named "Untitled" and she tried to recall any information or announcements for it. Normally, their special exhibits were highly publicized so it was odd that she hadn't heard anything about it yet. When she looked at the name of the artist, an Uzumaki Naruto, it wasn't someone she'd heard of before. She thought that perhaps he was fairly unknown and that was why they hadn't advertised it very much.

The front desk worker, Genma, was familiar with her and waved her past when she went to pull out her membership card. She was tempted to ask about the exhibit, but decided she could just go check it out for herself.

As she walked into the room, she studied the set up. They left the exhibit room entirely open with a few benches set up in the middle of the room, one facing each wall. The walls were lined with large, colorful paintings. Everything was abstract, colors blended and blocked and faded and the room felt like it was brimming with energy.

Oddly enough, in the middle of this energetic room on one of the benches was a man, who looked to be about her age, laying down with his eyes closed. He was tan, with bright blond hair, and his hand was over his eyes blocking out the light.

It was a strange place for a nap and she felt like it was actually a bit rude, but she definitely understood the need to find a quiet place. Maybe he was just exhausted and liked to come here like she did. If that was the case, she was surprised she had never seen him before, but there were many reasons that might happen so she just left him and began to walk around and look at the paintings, not noticing a blue eye peeking out and watching her from behind the hand.

Hinata started on one end, slowly making her way towards the centerpiece and she was astounded at the feelings these paintings were able to evoke.

There was one that was mostly black and dark blues with occasional flecks of red and white and it vibrated with a kind of electric energy. There was another one that had white and red mixed with a soft pink that radiated strength and felt oddly soothing.

Once she reached the centerpiece she stood in front of it feeling slightly confused. It was much larger than the others, but while those paintings had felt personal, perhaps representative of people the artist knew, this didn't feel quite the same. The strokes were thinner and there were more colors and even an occasional swirl.

Disappointed that she was having a hard time comprehending it, she sat back on the bench that faced it and stared, trying to make sense of it.

Suddenly a deep voice piped up from behind her.

"What do you think of that one?"

Startled, she turned around and wide lavender eyes met deep blue. This was the man who had been resting on one of the benches and she had forgotten he was there in her exploration of the paintings.

His face was rather close to hers, since he was sitting on the bench right behind her, and she squeaked and backed up a bit, her cheeks infused with a light blush.

That blush darkened as she heard him chuckle and his handsome features mesmerized her as he laughed. His smile was beautiful and she found herself struggling to say something, anything, to respond to his question.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said apologetically, while rubbing the back of his head. He did look a little embarrassed about it.

"I was just curious to know what you thought about that piece. You looked for a long time at all the others, but sat down to look at that one and I wasn't sure if that meant something good or bad."

"Oh!" she said, a little embarrassed that he had been watching her admire the artwork. She tended to get very into what she was doing and hoped that she hadn't seemed strange.

"Um, I just needed to look at it a little longer. It felt different from the other paintings."

"How so?"

"Well, the others each felt kind of personal, like maybe they represented people the artist was close to, but although this one is obviously important, I don't get that same kind of feeling. At first I thought maybe it was the artist himself, but I just don't feel like it represents a person and I can't figure out what it might be."

"Hm, that's very interesting," the young man said, looking intrigued by her analysis. "What do you feel when you look at it?"

Hinata furrowed her brows, unsure what she should say. He caught her reluctance and said, "Don't try to think about anything or compare it to any of the others. Just say the first thing that pops into your head when I ask what you feel."

"Hungry," she says, and quickly slaps her hand over her mouth. What did she even mean by that? Here was a hot guy actually talking to her about art and she just told him that a painting made her feel hungry?

The blond began laughing, a deep hearty laugh and while she was still fascinated by his smile and the way his eyes crinkled, she was also mortified that he was laughing at her. She started to get up, but he quickly noticed and stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"I, um, I just thought it was probably time I headed out," she wouldn't look at him, instead focusing intently on a spot on the floor and he wasn't buying it.

"Are you sure? I'm sorry if I upset you. I just thought it was funny because I know what the painting represents."

Hinata stopped, still feeling flustered, but also genuinely interested in finding out what the centerpiece was. She wavered for a moment before settling back down on the bench and looking at him questioningly.

He gave her a cheeky grin and leaned in, saying, "Are you sure you want to know?"

She nodded, hesitantly enjoying the way he was trying to make it dramatic.

"It's ramen."

Her eyes widened and she quickly retreated away from him, realizing that he must be messing with her. She was a little hurt, but instead of running like she had tried to do before, she looked at him with an angry pout.

He found her expression adorable, but could tell she was upset with him so he quickly began talking again.

"It's ramen, I swear. It's the artist's favorite food and something that's accompanied a lot of great moments in his life. That's why it's the centerpiece, because all of the others are important in some way, but he's shared a bowl of ramen with all of them so it connects everything."

Hinata was hesitant. The explanation sounded pretty deep, but she still felt like it was not possible that an artist would make a huge fuss about something like ramen.

"See, your reaction is exactly the reason the exhibit doesn't have a name. The lady in charge of the museum thought that no one would be interested in something about ramen so she figured they should make it so that none of the inspirations or names of the paintings were revealed until the last day of the exhibit."

She nodded slowly. This man seemed honest enough, she was actually pretty good at being able to tell when someone was lying, and although ramen seemed like a bizarre theme for an exhibit, his story sounded feasible.

Hinata actually started to feel a little special, realizing that she now knew something about the exhibit and the artist that no one else would be privy to until the big finish. It made her wonder, though, exactly who this person she was talking to was and she realized that she hadn't gotten his name.

"Thank you for telling me," she said, "I would never have guessed that."

"It's no problem, you really seemed to connect with the paintings so I thought you actually deserved to know. Of course, you realize you can't tell anyone on pain of death."

At her terrified face, the blond quickly backtracked, "I'm kidding! Totally kidding! I forget that if someone doesn't know me that my jokes aren't always the best. Heh, sorry."

"It's okay," she replied. She had always been rather forgiving and he was extremely attractive.

"So, uh, now that I've jokingly threatened you I guess you don't really want to tell me your name?"

Hinata hadn't blushed this much since she was a painfully shy girl in grade school, but something about this man caused her cheeks to burn whenever he spoke.

"Hinata. I'm Hyuga Hinata," she said shyly.

"Awesome!" He grinned that grin that made her melt. "I guess I should probably tell you my name as well, huh?"

He chuckled when she nodded and said, "I'm Naruto."

She breathed in sharply, remembering the name from the sign for the exhibit. "Naruto? Like the artist?"

The blond beamed proudly and said, "Not like the artist, I _am_ the artist! Uzumaki Naruto! Sorry if you feel like I was being dishonest. Like I said, you looked like you were really connecting with my paintings and I wanted to get your unbiased opinion."

Now that she had made the connection, Hinata definitely understood how the bright man in front of her could have created the vibrant paintings surrounding them.

"I, um, really like your work," she said shyly. "Sorry, I'm sure you get that a lot."

"Actually, this is the first time I've ever been able to get an official exhibit in a museum so I haven't really heard that from people who don't already know me."

"Oh! Well, I do. It's really… vibrant. It feels kind of alive and it's really interesting."

She couldn't decipher the look Naruto was giving her and she started to feel like maybe it was time for her to leave.

"Well, um, I think I am going to head out. I'll definitely tell others about the exhibit, though, so you'll get more visitors."

He looked slightly disappointed, but she couldn't quite tell if that was actually the case or just her hoping he didn't want her to leave.

"Actually, we've been sitting in front of that painting for quite a while. Does it still make you hungry? Because if so, and you have some time now, we could go grab something to eat. I'd like to talk to you more about art and just get to know you, if that's okay. I mean, I understand if that sounds weird and I don't want you to think you have to or that I'm some creepy guy who sits in museums to pick up pretty ladies, because that's not it…"

He trailed off, feeling like he probably messed that up. Hinata, however, could only focus on the fact that he had indirectly called her pretty. She decided that perhaps leaving her comfort zone for a meal would not be such a bad thing.

"I'd like that," she said with a small smile and he looked both relieved and excited.

"Great! Do you have anything in particular you'd like to eat?"

Hinata shook her head. There were a lot of good places to eat around the museum so she was pretty comfortable with anything he wanted.

"Hmm, I actually know a great place that's just a couple of blocks away. Would you be okay with ramen?"

She recalled what he'd said about how ramen was special to him and the fact that she'd be sharing something with him that he'd shared with all of the other important people in his life made her feel warm.

"Ramen sounds lovely," she said with a smile.

* * *

**So, I actually really love this universe and I'm thinking I might write some more in it sometime. Hope you all enjoyed as much as I did!**


	6. Pregnancy

**Sorry I'm so late on this one. I usually work on these during my lunch break and add/edit during my others, but yesterday that was just not possible so I didn't get to finish until now.**

**I wasn't entirely sure how to make this original so I decided to use some of my own experience. So, this is inspired by true life events, but obviously tweaked to match Naruto and Hinata and their world.**

**I'll get started on today's prompt and hope you enjoy this in the meantime!**

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**Day Six: Pregnancy**

"I'm home!" Naruto yelled as he burst through the front door, a hurricane of energy and affection ready to pounce on his wife. Sitting at a Hokage desk all day gave him a lot of pent up energy and that in addition to actually having someone waiting for him at home, made him a force to be reckoned with as he came in each day.

Today, however, instead of a wife who smiled and laughed as he picked her up and spun her around, he was greeted with silence.

He checked the kitchen, knowing that she sometimes got caught up in cooking, but did not see her.

He checked the backyard and garden, but she was not there.

He checked the bedroom to see if she was napping, since she had been tired lately, but did not find her on the bed.

Naruto then noticed the light on in their bathroom. He creeped closer and knocked. When he didn't get a response he pushed the door open further to make sure she hadn't fallen asleep in the bath.

What he found was his wife staring intently at two white sticks being gripped tightly in her hand.

"Hinata?" he said, sounding concerned. He had been calling her name since he got home and the fact she hadn't said anything yet somewhat scared him. Was she mad? Had he done something wrong?

Naruto didn't know that Hinata had been sitting like that for twenty minutes, unsure how to process what she was seeing.

She had been feeling extremely tired lately. She would get up when Naruto did in the morning, but feel like taking a nap by mid-morning. Certain foods that she usually enjoyed were starting to smell overwhelming and make her push them away. And no matter how much she trained and exercised, her body looked and felt a little bloated all of the time.

When she talked to her friends about this, they had suggested she take a pregnancy test. She'd purchased two this morning at the store, wanting an extra for confirmation, and it had taken her all day to work up the courage to take them.

It's not like they hadn't talked about having children. In fact, she and Naruto both wanted a family. They hadn't exactly been trying for a baby, but it's not like they'd been particularly trying to prevent one, either.

Still, when a faint line accompanied the normal bold one, it felt surreal. Sure, she'd had those symptoms, but she didn't _feel_ pregnant. Her stomach wasn't large and she hadn't had any cravings and all of the normal things you heard and knew about obviously pregnant people just weren't happening to her.

She just couldn't believe it.

Once she took the second one, denial hit harder. The second line wasn't very dark. It could be a false almost positive, right? She now had two tests in her hand and they both had two lines instead of one, but she just couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she might actually be pregnant.

And that's how Naruto found her, sitting on the side of the bathtub, staring at these two plastic white sticks that had potentially just announced that their lives would be forever changed.

"Hinata!"

Her husband's shouts finally reached her and she looked at him, her usually warm lavender eyes seeming dazed and unfocused. It took her a moment to register the fact that her husband was home and she must have been sitting there for a half an hour.

But, what was he going to say? How was she going to tell him? Although she knew he had wanted a family, was he okay with having a child right now?

Being okay with the idea and being happy that it was actually happening were two entirely separate things. He had just become Hokage and his work was extremely stressful. He was having a hard enough time getting home when he wanted to so how was he going to take the knowledge that he would soon have another person depending on him to be there? She didn't want to overwhelm him and she didn't want to be a burden.

Blue eyes watched with worry as his beautiful wife sat practically catatonic on the tub. Hinata was normally so easy to read and he wasn't sure what was going on. All he knew was that he needed to be there.

He walked over to her and sat down next to her, only then seeing what she held in her hand up close. His eyes widened in shock and he uncharacteristically stuttered out, "A-are those what I think they are?"

Hinata turned to him, eyes searching his for a reaction and he sat stunned for a moment before recognizing that this must be the reason she had been acting so strangely.

She finally spoke up, so quietly that he had to strain himself to hear, "They're, um, well I don't know if it's accurate. I got the second one to be sure, but I just don't know if it's real."

"But there are two lines, right?"

"Well, yes, but the second one is pretty faint."

"Has there ever been a second line before at all?"

"Um, no, but I still don't know…"

"Can't you use your Byakugan to check?" he asked, and she froze.

She could. She could definitely use her kekkei genkai to check, but then she would know. She would be one hundred percent sure whether or not she was pregnant and she wasn't sure how to feel about it. Would she be disappointed if she wasn't? Relieved? What if she really was? Would she be excited? Would _he_ be excited? Or would he be freaked out?

Hinata's breathing started accelerating and Naruto put his hand on her back, rubbing circles as he knew to do when she started to panic.

"It's okay. You don't have to if you don't want to," he assured her. "If you want, we can wait and go talk to Sakura or Tsunade in the morning."

She appreciated him so much. He was giving her a way out because he could tell she was scared. But she knew that neither would sleep well with the uncertainty weighing on them so she took a deep breath, and activated her Byakugan.

It was small. The tiny ball of foreign chakra in her abdomen was so small that it was no wonder no one had seen it yet during a spar. She gazed in wonder at this miniscule new life and reached down to caress the spot where she could see it.

Naruto's eyes widened in realization when he saw his wife rubbing her abdomen gently. He was going to be a father. They had made a life together. They had a baby coming. He was going to be a _father_.

He started to worry. He hadn't had a father growing up. Kakashi was kind of like a perverted uncle who was late all the time and he defintitely did not want to act like him. Pervy Sage had probably been the closest thing he had to a father, but as much as he loved and appreciated him, he was not going to be the same way with his son or daughter. Maybe he could ask Iruka for some advice? He was around kids a lot.

As his mind swirled with thoughts about raising his child, Hinata looked over. Everything still felt surreal to her, but in all of her coming to grips with the situation, she realized that she had not been paying attention to Naruto's reaction. This was very unlike her as she prided herself on being in touch with Naruto's feelings.

She saw what looked like confusion and doubt on his features and knew that she was not the only one who was worried about what all of this would mean. Somehow, knowing that he was also concerned helped lift some of her worry. She knew they could face anything together.

"Naruto," she said as she placed her hand on the side of his face.

Blue eyes clashed with lavender and no words needed to be spoken.

A large smile broke out on Naruto's face as he beamed at his wife.

"I'm going to be a father."

She nodded, "You are."

"You're going to be a mother."

She nodded again, "I am."

"We're going to have more family!"

"We are."

At this point she was beaming back at him.

He let out an excited yell and hugged her close. Hinata basked in his smell and the feeling of his arms around her.

"Hey, Hina?"

"Mhm?"

"So… does this mean that right now I'm hugging two people?"

She giggled a bit and replied, "I guess so."

She saw him think for a moment before she felt him poke her.

"So… right now I'm poking two people."

His eyes were sparkling with mirth and she realized that all of her worrying was for naught. Naruto was happy, he'd be a great father and they would have such a fun family.


	7. Wedding Planning

**Sorry I'm getting these things to you so late. Shit kind of hit the fan at work and my department has been working like crazy. That plus a one year old at home does not leave much time for writing. So, I'm taking the weekend to get caught up somewhat.**

**This is a continuation of the Modern Art AU from day five, and I was really excited when I started, but I think it might have come out a little strange. I'm not sure so let me know what you think.**

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**Day Seven: Wedding Planning**

Hinata had never laughed so much in her life. The past year she had spent with Naruto was like a wonderful dream.

She had never before encountered anything quite like Uzumaki Naruto. He was loud, fun, and brimming with energy. His upbeat attitude was catching and Hinata had actually found her cheeks hurting from smiling so much after their first few dates.

She had been extremely nervous at first. The idea of dating an artist had always been a kind of fantasy because of her love of art, and in the year since his exhibit first opened at the Konoha Modern Museum of Art, his popularity had skyrocketed. Apparently his bright paintings had evoked strong feelings in a large number of people and he had started to get a lot of personal commissions as well as questioning about future exhibits.

Kiba and Shino had initially been wary of him. They were very protective of her, as they were the closest thing she had left to family, and Kiba was apparently concerned that since Naruto was starting to gain renown, he would become something of a playboy. The blond had stood fast in their interrogations, however, and they had finally given him their blessings.

At one point, Hinata had told Naruto herself that she understood if he didn't want to be tied to her, since he was obviously going places. She did well for herself, but he was going to be in the spotlight more and more often and deserved to enjoy that. He would probably want to look for someone as amazing as he was to be with.

Naruto had quickly dismissed her concerns, however, and told her that she was the only person he wanted to be with. Now that his dream was coming true, he wanted to share that with someone and the blond had never met someone who was able to be so truly happy for someone else's success. His happiness made her happy and this was a rare trait that he loved her for. Of course, her beauty, love of art, and cooking skills were also factors in his affection for her, but what he loved most about Hinata was her goodness.

Once Hinata had quelled her insecurities about their relationship, the couple had grown closer and closer. The two were very much in love and he had surprised her one day with the most perfect proposal that she could have ever imagined.

Naruto had invited Hinata into his studio, a place he rarely let anyone visit, and had set out a large canvas and paints. He wanted her to work with him on creating one of the paintings he would be showing at a small upcoming exhibit. She was beyond touched, and the two had worked diligently for a few days on making something beautiful together.

When the exhibit came a week later, Hinata was of course attending and was surprised to see Kiba, Shino, and Kurenai there, as well. Apparently Naruto had invited them because he wanted them to see their mutual creation unveiled.

Hinata did not realize, however, that Naruto had dedicated this entire exhibit to her and his feelings for her. The painting they created was the centerpiece, but he had made so many more depicting the depth of his love for her. The blond artist gave a short speech about his life before Hinata and how wonderful his life had become with her that caused more than a few attendees to tear up.

The lavender eyed young woman was stunned that he would go this far to show her he cared. She was even more surprised when he got down on one knee and proposed in front of everyone there. Now she realized the real reason he had invited her closest friends. With tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face, Hinata accepted his proposal.

Now, came the actual wedding planning.

Over the year that they had dated, Naruto had introduced her to many of his friends.

She had first met Sasuke and Sakura, and had immediately recognized them from Naruto's paintings. She had fallen even more in love with Naruto's art once she realized how perfectly he depicted the two with his abstract work. Sakura worked at the hospital as a doctor, and Sasuke was a lawyer. They were a typical power couple and it seemed Sasuke's connections had been part of the reason Naruto had gotten his exhibit at the KMMA.

Most of her boyfriend's other friends had been more artistic, like him.

He had introduced her to Ino, a high end florist who did most of the arrangements for the weddings and charity benefits of the city's top politicians and businessmen. Hinata had been somewhat wary of the beautiful blonde who looked so good standing next to her boyfriend, but those feelings quickly disappeared as she met the woman's boyfriend, a tall pale man named Sai. She actually recognized his name as a popular graffiti artist who had later turned from underground art into something more legal. Hinata had seen many of his pieces displayed and was amazed to be meeting yet another well-known artist.

Apparently, Ino and Sai had been introduced by another friend of Naruto's named Shikamaru. Naruto and Sai knew him as a fellow artist. Shikamaru was a photographer who liked to work with light and shadow. These were difficult subjects to capture correctly, and the photographer was hailed as a genius.

Shikamaru and Ino had a mutual childhood friend named Choji who Hinata actually recognized as a customer. Choji was a regular at Bakery Number Eight and she had always enjoyed him because he would tell them the basics of what he needed and then essentially give them carte blanche to create whatever they felt would suit the occasion. He always came back to let them know if their cake had been a success and she truly enjoyed him.

What she hadn't known was that he was an up and coming chef. If she had been paying closer attention she would have noticed that his last name was Akimichi and that he belonged to a family of master chefs.

Now that she and Naruto were getting married, all of these wonderful people had offered to contribute to the occasion. Ino would provide flowers, Shikamaru would be the photographer, Sai and Sakura were working together to plan the location and layout, and Choji would provide the menu. Besides attire, all that really left was the cake and Hinata was not about to let anyone besides her own bakery handle that part.

Kurenai and Shino had requested to do the bridal cake. They wanted to surprise her with it and she knew that anything they created would be beautiful. That left the groom's cake to her and she wanted to make it something special. This would be a surprise from her to Naruto and it had to be perfect.

With all of these skilled people working on the other arrangements, Hinata was a little intimidated. They were masters of their crafts and Hinata knew that the wedding would be stunning. The problem was, she was stuck when it came to her design for the groom's cake. She wanted it to be perfect, a symbol of their relationship.

Months later, only a few weeks before the wedding, and Hinata had sketched a multitude of designs. Unfortunately, everything fell short. Her favorite idea had been a version of Naruto's "Ramen" painting because that was the reason for their first meeting. However that had turned out badly since she couldn't get any of her decorating techniques to make it look quite right.

Hinata sighed. It had been her favorite not just because it was a symbol of their first meeting, but because of what Naruto had told her about the significance of the dish in his life. His portrayal of it was so beautiful that she wanted to use that, but she just couldn't make it look like _his_.

Suddenly a thought struck her. She couldn't mimic the design of his painting. It never looked right because it was his creation and not hers. She, too, was very good at what she did so she needed to forget incorporating his work and make something of her own that symbolized that special bond between the two of them.

An hour later, Hinata held up her sketch and smiled, ready to make a practice cake the next day. She would tell Kiba to have fun with the baking part - he always managed create new exotic flavors - and she would focus on the construction and decoration. Naruto was going to love it.

* * *

The day of their wedding, Naruto and Hinata walked around the hall in awe of what their friends had been able to put together. The couple would have been content to marry anywhere, so long as they were able to be together, but the place was stunning and Hinata felt her eyes brimming with tears of gratitude and happiness. It was truly a symbol of the beautiful life they were going to live together.

As they made their way around the room, Hinata saw their friends huddled by the tables of food, making sure everything was ready to be served after the ceremony. She became nervous as she and Naruto got closer, knowing that once they were over there, he would see the cake that she had created. She had poured her time, creativity, and love into the cake and she hoped that he would like it.

The couple reached their friends and Hinata was quickly hugged by Ino who began to rant about how everything was turning out perfectly thanks to her. Sakura quickly butted in, arguing that she had played a larger part in planning everything and therefore the success was more hers than Ino's.

As the two girls bickered good-naturedly, she felt Naruto go stiff. She looked at him and panicked as she saw his wide eyed gaze in the direction of the cakes. Apparently he had seen her creation.

Hinata grabbed his hand, too nervous to ask him what he thought, and he pulled her over to get a closer look. There, next to the beautiful cake that Kurenai and Shino had created, stood what looked like a massive bowl of ramen. It looked exactly like the ramen they had eaten that day when they had left the art museum, right down to the design on the bowl, except it was enormous.

Hinata had created noodles, an egg, scallions, nori, and even some narutomaki out of various edible materials, and Naruto was stunned. He had always been impressed by her creations, but this was beyond anything he'd seen before.

He felt a tug on his arm and looked down to see his soon-to-be wife watching his expression closely. The blond realized that she was nervous to find out his opinion.

"Hinata, this is crazy!"

She looked down and said, "I know, it's probably a little weird for a wedding, right? I just remembered what you had said when we first met about how ramen had accompanied a lot of the big moments in your life and I wanted to give that to you for our wedding as well. Was it stupid?"

Naruto realized she may have misinterpreted his exclamation because of her worry. She often did that when she was feeling self conscious about something.

"It's not stupid, it's awesome! You're the best fiance ever! I can't believe you remember me saying that."

At that Hinata looked back up at him, surprised that he wouldn't think she'd remember.

"Of course I do! I remember everything about that day! It was one of the most wonderful days of my life! You and your art really touched me and I didn't know at the time that it would all come to this, but I knew that that day was special."

"It was special to me, too. I am constantly thankful that I decided to hang out at the exhibit that day because it allowed me to meet you. I just didn't realize that you felt the same way."

Naruto's smile was contagious and soon she felt herself smiling with him.

"So, you really like it?"

"I love it! Hinata, you're seriously the best. If you don't believe me then I'm going to have to drag you over to that altar and make them marry us right now so that I can get to showing you how awesome I think you are."

His grin became cheekier and Hinata squeaked in embarrassment. She knew exactly what that face meant and now she, too, was eager to get the wedding underway.

Suddenly Sakura clapped to get everyone's attention and quickly ordered everyone to get to their places since they were about to start letting the guests in. Before Hinata could leave, Naruto pulled her close and gave her a kiss that left her breathless. With a wink he ran off, leaving his blushing fiance to be guided away by her friends.

As she watched him go Hinata thought to herself that despite all the planning and hard work that went into this wedding, what she was most looking forward to was their life afterward.

* * *

**So, I'll be doing another prompt or two to catch up, but I won't be doing a LOTR AU because I just don't know much of anything about that world. **

**I won't be doing every prompt because I don't want to put out anything that I wouldn't want to read myself, but I'm going to try to do most of them for the month. Anyway, I hope this turned out okay and I'll get to work on some more stuff for you guys!**


	8. Secret Lovers and Dating

**So when I went to write my little story for Secret Lovers, it ended up tying in with the Dating prompt as well so I just combined them into one instead of giving you a not as good separate story. I hope you like!**

* * *

**Day Eight: Secret Lovers and Day Ten: Dating**

Hinata sat against a tree and watched as Kiba and Shino sparred. She had fought each of them and now it was their turn to fight while she took a break. As she watched the two, she thought about something that had been bothering her.

She and Naruto had been dating for three months. After growing closer over the past year, Naruto had pulled her aside one day and told her that he reciprocated her feelings for him and would like to start dating. Of course, they were both rather busy with missions and other ninja duties, but they had managed to go on a few dates and had spent quite a bit of time together when both were in the village at the same time. He had even been over to the Hyuga compound for a dinner with her family.

The boy she had been in love with for years finally returned her feelings and she was ecstatic about it. However, neither of her teammates had brought it up.

Now although she was happy to be dating Naruto, she wasn't really the kind of person who goes around spreading news about herself. If someone asked her something about her personal life then she would give them an honest answer, but she wasn't ever the one who brought it up. So, after her first date with Naruto, Hinata had gone to her team training the next day very excited to tell them about it.

When neither teammate asked her about it, she started to tell them, but stopped when she considered that maybe she shouldn't. Would they really be that interested? Sure they cared about her, but did they really want to hear the details of her dating life? If they did, Kiba probably would have teased her about it by now and that was not the case. Therefore, she kept quiet. She assumed that at some point they would bring it up and had left it at that.

Somehow, three months of that had passed and Hinata was entirely confused. She was sure that in the past they had brought up the subject of Naruto at least once or twice a month. It seemed that ever since they started dating, however, they hadn't even mentioned the blond.

So here she sat, watching as her teammates sparred, contemplating how she should bring it up. She knew she should probably just say something, but again, she didn't want to be weird. She was already the girl in the group and had always been kind of self conscious about not acting too girly so that they would include her. Hinata knew that was ridiculous and that the boys loved her exactly as she was, but it was just something she'd always been a little shy about. Hence, the jackets she wore for the longest time that prevented any glimpse of her figure.

Instead of worrying over that issue, Hinata's mind drifted to her blond boyfriend. He had been gone on a mission for the past week and a half and was due back in the next day or so. Naruto had promised to take her out when he got back and she had been trying to distract herself with training and clan duties to take her mind off the anticipation.

As if summoned by her thoughts, she felt the Uzumaki's presence closing in on her and looked up just in time to see a grinning, whiskered face. She smiled back at him, ecstatic to see him again after so long, but still too shy to give him a hug or anything else as a welcome back gesture.

Naruto sat down next to her and she could tell by the state of his clothes that he had probably come straight from reporting to Tsunade.

"You didn't have to come straight here. I wouldn't have been upset if you had stopped at home to shower and change."

He frowned, thinking that maybe he smelled and that she was hinting that he should have done those things first. Naruto was new at the whole relationship thing and was a little insecure about what he should and shouldn't do. When he got back, all he could think about was finding Hinata, but perhaps that wasn't the right thing to do.

Hinata could see what was going on in Naruto's mind and quickly put her hand on his to allay any fears. She smiled at him and said, "I'm not mad that you didn't shower first, Naruto. I'm really happy that you wanted to find me so badly. I just didn't want you to think that I'm not okay with you getting comfortable after a mission before finding me."

Naruto tilted his head to the side and said, "But, being with you is what makes me comfortable."

Her chest filled with warmth at his statement and tears prickled her eyes. She was still amazed by the fact that their relationship was real and when he said things like that, it just hit her even harder.

"You make me feel comfortable, too," she said shyly and Naruto beamed at her, happy to have someone who loved and understood him like she did.

"So," he started, "I believe I promised that I would take you out after my mission. You know I don't go back on my word so I wanted to see if you were free tonight?"

Hinata couldn't understand the nervousness in his voice. She found it strange that after all this time he would still be unsure about whether she wanted to spend time with him.

"I'm free!" she said, probably a bit too eagerly, and she blushed at how she must have sounded.

"I mean, I am free tonight and would love to go out with you."

"Great!" Naruto shouted, standing up. "In that case, I am going to run home and get cleaned up, but I'll come pick you up at the compound around five, okay?"

Hinata nodded and smiled up at him. Naruto toed the ground and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. They hadn't hugged or kissed yet, neither used to much physical interaction besides what they encountered with training, and it made their goodbyes seem a little awkward sometimes. Maybe one day soon he'd get up the courage to give her a kiss.

"Well, bye, I guess!" he said, walking in the direction of his apartment.

"Bye!" replied Hinata, as she watched him go. She sighed in happiness and turned back to watch her teammates in their spar.

Instead of fighting, however, both were standing there gaping at her. Well, Kiba was gaping, but Hinata was pretty sure that behind his collar, Shino's mouth was open in surprise.

"What?" she said.

"What? What do you mean, 'What'?!" shouted Kiba.

Hinata looked to Shino for clarification.

"I believe Kiba is implying that you should be aware of the reason for our surprise. It looked just now as if you and Naruto are dating."

"Um, we are dating," answered Hinata. She knew she hadn't talked to them about it, but it's not like it was a secret. In fact, there was talk around the whole village that their hero was dating someone.

"Are you serious?! How could you not say something? Is it some kind of secret affair, or something? Does his girlfriend know about you two?"

Hinata looked at Kiba, clearly confused.

"I don't know what you're talking about. It's not like it's been a secret. I just never talked about it with you guys because you never brought it up and I figured if you hadn't talked about it then you didn't want to talk about it.

"And what do you mean does his girlfriend know? _I'm_ his girlfriend so of course I know."

Kiba looked like he was about to shout again, so Shino quickly stepped in.

"It seems there has been a misunderstanding. We had heard that Naruto had a girlfriend so we had not broached the subject in order to spare your feelings. We did not realize that you were the girlfriend because we had assumed that we would have been privy to that information."

"Seriously, Hinata!" Kiba couldn't hold himself back anymore, "How could we have known? It's not like we ever saw you together. Are you sure you weren't keeping it a secret and are only telling us now because you are busted?"

"If it was a secret, then how does the rest of the village know?" she asked.

Kiba stopped for a moment. He opened his mouth, but closed it again and began to look pensive.

"I just… I don't understand how we missed that," he finally said.

"I believe that we did not see them together because they have not been able to spend much time together. Why? Because our teams have both had quite a few missions lately. Therefore, it would be difficult for them to see one another."

Both Kiba and Hinata nodded, accepting Shino's analysis of the situation.

"So… _you_ are the girlfriend that everyone's talking about."

Hinata nodded. There was no way Naruto would have another girlfriend. He was both honest and loyal.

"Well, I guess congratulations are in order!" Kiba yelled, excited for his teammate. He and Shino had watched her feelings for the blond go unreciprocated for years so now that they were a couple, he was extremely happy for her.

The wild male ran over and swept Hinata up into a hug, ignoring her blush at the contact and calling Shino over to come celebrate with them. As the boys asked her questions about the relationship and gave her their congratulations, Hinata smiled to herself, feeling so blessed to have them in her life.

* * *

**Seriously, I love Team Eight. Their dynamic is so wonderful to me. Anyway, hope you liked it! Leave me a review if you did! Your reviews have been keeping me going whenever I have trouble finding inspiration and I want you to know I appreciate every single one :-)**


	9. Kiss

**It's late, I know, but I hope you'll forgive me! This one is nothing but fluff. Just pure cuteness to enjoy. Now, I'll go get to work on today's prompt :-P**

* * *

**Day Eleven: Kiss**

Naruto and Hinata were sitting in Naruto's apartment, enjoying their day off together. It had gotten a little cool outside and they had opted to have a day in. So there they sat, snuggled together on Naruto's couch, just talking and laughing together.

He had never imagined himself doing something like this. They had been together for four months. Naruto had had a girlfriend for four whole months and the experience was both amazing and somewhat surreal. Here next to him was an incredible young woman. She was smart, pretty, nice, and a great cook, and she had been inexplicably in love with him for most of her life.

Even when she had jumped in to save him from Pein and declared her love for him, he had had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. She was the heiress of probably the most powerful clan in Konoha and she was forfeiting her own life for his.

When he had finally had a chance later to sit and think about it, he realized that she had always been there. She had always been off to the side, quietly cheering him on, offering her test for him to cheat off of, giving him handmade medicine, calling him a proud failure and telling him that she admired him. She had encouraged him enough to beat Neji. She had jumped in to save his life when Pein had him pinned. When he had joined in the war, she had convinced everyone that it was him and not some Zetsu clone with just a look in his eyes. And when she had yet again risked her own life to save him, and Neji had died in her stead, she had been the one to bring him out of his despair so that he could go on to win.

She was amazing and because of his childhood, he had a hard time wrapping his mind around someone being that dedicated to him. Why him? Naruto knew he was now considered a hero. He was also on the fast track to becoming Hokage and he had quite a few fans. But she had been dedicated to him before all that, before he was even a good at being a ninja. And sometimes it overwhelmed him and he felt afraid that she would disappear, that he would wake up one day and find out this whole thing was over.

Naruto was constantly afraid that he would do something to upset her. Sakura was a great friend, but growing up with her on his team made him wary of the many ways it was possible to anger a female. Hinata was not like Sakura much at all, but he was still afraid that one day he would find that one thing that set Hinata off and caused her to leave.

And so, it had taken a month before he gathered up the courage to put his arm around her. It was two months into their relationship when she had initiated hand holding. Finally, three months in they had shared their first real hug. After that, they quickly realized how much they both enjoyed being close to one another and had begun hugging, and also cuddling, as much as possible.

However, they had yet to kiss.

Hinata was much too shy to initiate it. Their other physical contact had been hard enough for her to handle at first. Besides the fact that she used to stutter and faint just in the presence of Naruto, she had also grown up in a clan where there was little to no physical contact. When your clan practiced a taijutsu that could literally kill with the smallest touch, it was just not common to go around hugging family members or even patting another on the back.

Kiba had helped her get over some of her hang ups. The Inuzuka was very affectionate, but it was still different from the touches she shared with Naruto. Just the idea of touching him with her lips sent her brain into a frenzy. It's not that it didn't sound nice, but she had no idea how to go about it.

Thus, the young couple sat together and secretly relished one another's warmth as they talked. Hinata had no inkling of the turmoil going on inside Naruto's mind. The feeling of comfort and familiarity that he had while spending time with Hinata was something that made him so happy. The fact that she loved him and wanted to spend time with him, even if it was just talking like this, was the best feeling in the world.

However, the emotions he was feeling also spilled over into his physical reactions. The tension he felt when next to her, the desire to let her know how much he cared for her through physical touch, was becoming overwhelming and their snuggling just didn't seem to be doing the trick.

After a while, Hinata noticed something was off when she asked a question and Naruto didn't respond. She looked up to ask if something was the matter and found blue eyes staring intently at her. His gaze was intense, and she bit her lip out of nervousness.

When Naruto saw her bite her lip, he couldn't take it anymore. He snaked his hand around the back of her neck and leaned down to capture her lips.

It wasn't hesitant like the first time he had put his arm around her, or gentle like the first time they had held hands. The kiss was fierce and passionate, and although startled at first, Hinata saw stars as she began to respond. She moved herself closer to him, weaving her fingers into his golden hair as they moved their lips against one another.

When they finally broke apart, even Naruto felt a little lightheaded. They were both breathing heavily, not out of exertion, but because adrenaline was coursing through their systems almost as intensely as on some of their missions.

Kissing was on a whole other level than any other physical gesture they had shared before. It felt much more intimate and the experience had both of their stomachs in knots.

At first Naruto had felt like he needed to apologize. He felt like he had practically attacked her, with no warning at all, but when he saw her dazed eyes and her rosy cheeks, he knew she had enjoyed it as much as he did.

Blushing a bit himself, he smiled at his girlfriend, wanting her to know how much she meant to him.

"I love you, you know?" he said.

Hinata beamed up at him, her eyes prickling with tears of joy from hearing him say those words. Instead of saying them back, however, she decided to show him how she felt with her new favorite gesture.

Surprised, but no less pleased by her actions, Naruto thought to himself that they were going to start staying in a lot more often.


	10. Meet the Grandparents

**So last week was pretty much insane. Sorry I didn't get these out for you. I won't be doing all of the week's prompts, but I'll let you know when I'm about to skip one.**

**Anyway, this is an AU where Tsunade and Jiraiya are actually Minato's parents and Hinata is meeting them for the first time. Let the hilarity ensue.**

* * *

**Day Twelve: Meet the Grandparents**

Naruto kept his arm around his girlfriend's waist as he knocked on the door of his parents' house. He knew she was nervous, just as she had been the first time she had met his parents. He had told her many times not to worry because he knew his parents were going to like her as much as he did, but it didn't seem to assuage her fears.

When his father, Minato, had called to let him know that his grandparents were going to be in town and were interested in meeting the girlfriend they had heard so much about, Naruto had eagerly agreed. Unfortunately, he had done so immediately, without consulting Hinata first and she had been a little shellshocked. They were ten months into their relationship and he had already introduced her to his parents. Now, only a month later she was going to meet his grandparents. It was all rather intimidating.

Naruto came from a family as boisterous as he was and while she really shouldn't have expected anything different, it was still a little overwhelming to walk into a house where a man almost identical to her boyfriend (who she'd only just gotten over blushing and stammering around whenever he touched her) greeted her warmly with a bright smile and twinkling eyes. Then, in a hurricane of red hair, Hinata had been bowled over by Naruto's mother, Kushina, who had proceeded to squeeze the life out of her while squealing about how cute she was.

All in all, Hinata had been grateful that his parents liked her. She had been pretty taken with their son ever since he became a new teacher at the school where she taught as well and her feelings had only gained in intensity since their relationship began. However, the experience was a whirlwind of crazy and she had still not quite gotten over it. So, when Naruto had chased her down between classes one day, excitedly telling her how his grandparents were going to be in town that weekend and wanted to meet her, she had been terrified.

And so, as they stood on the porch waiting to be let in, Naruto tried his best to reassure her.

"It's okay, Hinata, my parents already love you and I'm sure my grandparent's will, too!"

She replied with a small smile.

"Besides, you shouldn't worry too much about them anyway. Grandpa's a total pervert and Granny is usually at least a little drunk so it's not like you have to prove anything to them."

His description was met with wide, confused eyes, but before she could ask for further elaboration, the door opened and his bright mother again swooped her up into a crushing hug.

"I'm so glad you could come!" Kushina cried, already pulling her by the hand into the house.

Hinata looked back at Naruto for help, but he just smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up, beside himself that his parents approved so highly of the woman he cared about.

"Now, I don't know if Naruto's told you anything about them," Kushina whispered rather loudly, "but I thought I should probably warn you that Minato's parents are a little out there."

The fact that the redhead was the one telling her this just concerned Hinata even more.

Seeing her face, Kushina tried to reassure her, "But don't worry, if all else fails I'm sure Jiraiya will love you because of your great boobs!"

And that is how a furiously blushing Hinata found herself face to face with Naruto's grandparents.

Kushina had been pulling Hinata along so quickly and had stopped so suddenly, that it took great effort on Hinata's part not to hurtle straight into the large white haired man in front of her. He smiled at her, disarmingly, and she almost felt a little better until she realized that he wasn't looking at her face, but at her chest.

Horrified, she looked next to him, figuring that a drunk grandmother was probably the less scary of the two, but instead saw a woman with honey colored hair who looked to be no more than forty.

Trying to mask her confusion, she bowed to the two of them and said, "Um, hello, I'm Hyuga Hinata. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

When she straightened back up, she heard the blond woman speak for the first time and it was not at all what she expected.

"Hey, Brat! How'd you manage to find yourself such a polite little girlfriend? She's too nice for you!"

"Oi!" Naruto said and Hinata suddenly realized that he was standing right beside her, "I can be nice! Can't I, Hinata?"

Indigo hair bobbed as she nodded quickly, looking at Tsunade, "Naruto has been very nice to me."

Tsunade still looked rather skeptical, but Jiraiya piped in, "Aha, my boy, I see my lessons have not gone to waste!"

Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he realized what his grandfather was about to say and he shook his head vehemently, trying to get him to stop, but to no avail.

"Now, now dear, of course Naruto is nice to her! Just look at that rack! And to have a body like that with a face so sweet-I taught Naruto better than to let someone like that get away. He had better be _very _nice to her" he finished with a wink.

Hinata's cheeks were becoming redder and redder and Naruto put an arm around her protectively before saying, "Stop being such a perv, Grandpa! It's not like that! Hinata's a nice girl! She was real quiet when I first met her, but she made me feel welcome at the school when a lot of the other teachers acted like stuck up snobs who knew everything. Sure, she's real pretty, but that's not why I love her!"

Lavender eyes opened wider than ever before. Had he just said that he loved her? She had felt that way for a bit now, but hadn't actually had the courage to say it. Hesitantly, she glanced over at Naruto, unsure whether or not he realized what he had just said. Judging by his blush, he did.

Before either of them could address it, however, Jiraiya had some more advice to give.

"Sure, sure kid. Just remember, it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for," he said with another wink.

Thoroughly mortified, Hinata watched in awe as Naruto's grandmother swung her fist at her husband's head. He ducked it with the ease of someone with years of practice and Hinata was surprised at the amount of force she felt as her fist continued to swing. That would surely have caused some serious damage!

"Damnit, Jiraiya," Tsunade said, "Can't you see they were about to have a moment?"

All eyes turned back on the two of them and Hinata attached herself to her boyfriend, burying her face in his arm.

"Oh come on, I'm just so proud!" Jiraiya retorted, "It's not every day I find out that my grandson is also a boob man!"

Curious, Hinata snuck a glance at Tsunade and realized she had been so distracted by her youthful looks earlier, that she had not taken notice of her very ample bosom.

"For gods sake, stop talking about the poor girl's boobs!" Tsunade thundered.

Kushina leaned over and whispered, "I told you so," to Hinata while giving her smile and a thumbs up.

The indigo haired woman was starting to feel faint, which did not go unnoticed by her boyfriend and his grandmother who, it turned out, was actually a doctor.

"Come on," Tsunade said as she pulled Jiraiya away, "Let's go help get things set up in the dining room and give these two lovebirds a moment.

Kushina looked torn as she wanted to stay and observe the sweet interaction between her son and his cute little girlfriend, but Minato wrapped his arm around his wife and led her away.

Naruto and Hinata stood there, facing one another in awkward silence.

"Uh, well I think they like you," the blond said, while rubbing the back of his head nervously. He hadn't forgotten what he'd accidentally let slip earlier.

Hinata nodded, but mostly kept her eyes averted. She was too nervous to look at him after what he had said.

"They seem… um, nice?" she said, always needing to be polite but unsure how she was supposed to describe them. Apparently that had been the right thing to say because Naruto beamed back at her.

"I'm glad you think so!" he said. "I know they can seem like a bit much, but they're actually really great people and I wanted you to like them because I was kind of hoping you could be part of the family one day, but I was worried they might scare you away because of, well, you know because you met them…"

Hinata stared at him wide eyed. He… wanted her to be part of the family one day? Was that an indirect proposal?

Naruto again realized that he had spoken without a filter and became a little flustered. "Heh, I, uh, well I guess if you haven't run out yet then that means you probably don't hate me, right?"

She smiled and shook her head, "No, quite the opposite. I, um, I actually feel the same."

His breathing quickened and he stepped closer to her, "The same? You mean what I said earlier?"

Hinata nodded.

"So.. if I said I loved you then you would say it back?"

She nodded again.

"Hinata, I love you."

She bit her lip to try to contain her huge smile.

"I love you, too," she said shyly.

Naruto leaned down to kiss her, but the moment was suddenly interrupted with a loud whooping noise coming from the next room.

The couple looked over to see four smiling faces observing them not-so-sneakily from the doorway.

Kushina had tears running down her face, but was smiling like she had never seen anything more wonderful.

Minato managed to look a little sheepish at getting caught spying, but he and his mother were smiling at the young couple.

Jiraiya's smile quickly turned from happy to pervy as he said, "Now that that's settled, I can give you two some tips that are sure to make your love as lasting as mine! If you know what I mean."

Between the crazy introductions, Naruto's impromptu confession and her response, and Jiraiya's inappropriate comments, Hinata had had a bit too much. The world around her dimmed and she promptly fainted, sending the Namikaze household into even more of a frenzy.

At least her family life would never be boring.

* * *

**I didn't actually edit this like I usually do, so sorry if there are any mistakes. I figured instead of editing I'd rather get to writing more so if there's anything obvious let me know and I'll go in and fix it later.**


	11. Festival

**Honestly, I know next to nothing about Japanese festivals aside from what I've read in other fanfics and so I decided to write about a kind that I am more familiar with. So, if you are looking for a traditional festival story, look elsewhere. This is Mardi Gras, y'all!**

* * *

**Day Thirteen: Festival**

She shouldn't be here. When her friends had suggested this trip, she had initially told them no. Why hadn't she listened to herself? Now that she was here, there was no going back.

Hinata sat with her friends Sakura, Ino, and TenTen around a table for breakfast at the hotel where they were staying in New Orleans. It was Mardi Gras and she had agreed to go on an all girl trip with her friends after much begging and pleading on their part. She had been hesitant at first-the drunken revelry and occasional toplessness was not really her forte-but her friends had been so insistent and she didn't like to disappoint.

Her three friends each had some beaded necklaces on which had been acquired by… rather immodest means. When they first arrived, she had seen people wandering around with beads of every color hanging around their necks and at first it all seemed rather fun. However, apparently the rumors about flashing at Mardi Gras had not actually been rumors and she had quickly discovered that there was a price to pay to gain such colorful accessories. There were, of course, random strands strewn about the streets from various parties, but Hinata did not want to pick those up as her friends had suggested because then people might think that she had… her face turned bright red just thinking about it.

Looking around the dining area, she noticed most of the occupants were around the same age as she and her friends, somewhere in their twenties, and all had on the same colorful beads. Her friends certainly did not have as many as others did and, admittedly, had all been rather drunk the evening before when they had gained them. Hinata shook her head, pretty determined that she would not be joining them again that night in the French Quarter. She had read up on a lot of the history of the city and was planning to find some kind of tour or something more to her tastes.

As she continued her scan of the room she accidentally locked eyes with the only person currently eating alone. He was tall, tan, and extraordinarily blond. His was not the blond that came from a bottle, but the kind that came from having naturally light hair and spending a lot of time in the sun. His blue eyes caught her own and after a second, he smirked, causing her to squeak in embarrassment at having been caught staring and look away.

TenTen heard her outburst and looked at her questioningly, but when Hinata shook her head and said it was nothing, she took her word for it and continued her conversation with the other girls.

As Ino, Sakura, and TenTen planned out their day's activities, Hinata dared to sneak another glance at the beautiful blond man across the room. To her surprise, and mortification, he was still looking her way and caught her gaze again. Now thoroughly embarrassed, Hinata began to eat faster, wanting to get away quickly before she did anything else.

Suddenly her friends started whispering and elbowing one another, which caught Hinata's attention. She looked in the direction they were all looking and saw the blond currently crossing the room, hands in his pockets. He walked leisurely, as if he were taking a stroll, but he clearly had a destination in mind and it seemed that their table was it.

Hinata wasn't sure what to do with herself. It seemed as if he got more attractive the closer he came. He was wearing a simple white tshirt and jeans and she still somehow felt as if she was the one not dressed to see anyone. Around his neck hung those same accursed beads and she began to panic, thinking that perhaps he was a pervert and had come to town for Mardi Gras for the sole purpose of making women lift their shirts for beads.

By the time he reached their table, Hinata was quite worked up. However, she took a deep breath to calm herself, trying not to judge the guy just because he was wearing some colorful accessories. After all, her friends each had some and she knew that they were all good people.

The man looked around their table, nodding to all the women as he greeted them, "Good morning, ladies."

His tone was polite and Hinata was feeling bad for making some hasty judgments, even if she had not voiced them out loud.

"Well, hello there!" said Ino, looking him up and down. He, however, took no notice of this and focused his gaze solely on Hinata.

"Hello, miss," he said to her, flashing a smile that made her stomach flutter.

Seeing that this handsome man was rather focused on their shy friend, and deciding that he seemed harmless, Hinata's three friends shared a conspiratorial glance before standing up.

"Huh?" the young woman was confused. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, we're going to head up to the room to finish getting ready. You just come up as soon as you're done!" Sakura said, shooting her a mischievous smile.

Hinata looked to TenTen for help, but her friend just shot her a slightly apologetic look that also said, 'It's for your own good.'

And in a flash, she found herself alone with the gorgeous young man.

He watched, looking slightly amused, as Hinata shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do or say.

"Um, sorry about earlier," she said, thinking that maybe he came to confront her about staring at him during his breakfast. "I didn't mean to disrupt your meal or anything. I just was looking around and happened to catch your eye. I do that a lot, actually, um, people watch, I mean. So I wasn't trying to single you out or be creepy or anything…"

Clearly talking to strangers wasn't one of her strengths.

Again he flashed that charming smile and Hinata felt her cheeks heat up as she heard his low voice.

"It's no problem, I didn't think you were creepy."

She looked up, thankful that he was being nice about the whole thing. Honestly, she wouldn't have blamed him if he had thought she was creepy or weird. It certainly wouldn't be the first time someone called her that. Maybe she could like this guy.

"I was just noticing you didn't seem to have any beads."

Oh god. She spoke too soon. He _was _a pervert! He had just come over there to get her to take her top off!

The blond chucked at her horrified face, and figured he should probably reassure her.

"Relax, I was just going to offer you one of mine."

Apparently that had not made things any better.

"I'm not going to-to… I'm not going to do _that_ so you can just leave if that's what you came for!" Hinata tried to sound outraged, but her voice wasn't quite cooperating. Despite her sputtering, however, she felt she got her point across. Take that, perv.

He raised an eyebrow. Apparently this kitten had claws.

"You realize that you don't actually have to expose yourself in order to get a necklace, right? Jeez, where did you ladies go last night, Bourbon Street? It can get a little crazy over there."

Hinata's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Seriously, I was just offering to give you one. As in, just hand it over without asking for anything in return. I figured it was a shame that a pretty girl like you didn't have any. I even have one that matches your eyes."

The blond lifted part of a light purple necklace that did, indeed match her eyes. She felt a little bad about her outburst, but was still on her guard.

"S-so, you wanted to give me one of your necklaces?"

"That's right."

"...And you don't want anything in return?"

"Well, I definitely wouldn't say no to your number, but I'm not going to hold it hostage or anything. It's yours if you want it, no strings attached."

He pulled the beads over his head and Hinata began to reach for it, but stopped.

"But, um, I thought that it was a rule that girls were supposed to… you know…"

The blond sighed and shook his head. "Nah, that's just something some guys say. It might be those guys' rule, but it's certainly not like an official Mardi Gras rule or anything."

The bluenette still looked skeptical and he sighed.

"Seriously, I went to college down here so I've been to my fair share of Mardi Gras. A lot of people think that the French Quarter is the only place to go, but there are actually a lot more events that go on elsewhere in the city. There's really something for everyone."

Hinata was starting to feel silly for reacting so badly, she tentatively reached over and took the necklace he was holding out. Instead of putting it on, however, she played with it, thankful for something to keep her hands occupied as she tended to fiddle with them when nervous.

She glanced up shyly to see his blue eyes still fixated on her. His stare was intent, but not unkind, and she again felt heat creep into her cheeks.

"Um, thank you," she said, "I really like them."

"I'm glad," he replied with a smile. "There are a couple of events that give out actual glass beads instead of the plastic ones and I usually go around collecting them. But I felt like you should have those."

Touched by the gesture, she gave him a shy smile.

"Now, I know I said I wouldn't ask for anything in return," he began and Hinata tensed, waiting for the other shoe to drop, "but I would actually love to know your name."

Her eyes widened, and she chastised herself for being so silly. "I'm Hinata," she said, giving him another smile.

"Hinata… I like it." he said, "It suits you! I'm Naruto, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you," she said politely and he grinned.

"Tell you what, Hinata," he began as he slipped a piece of paper into her hand, "I'm staying here too, obviously, and I would love to see you some more. So, if you want to hang out or if you get tired of partying with your friends you can give me a call and I can show you some places that are a little less, uh, rowdy."

She nodded, and said, "I would like that a lot, actually."

"Great!" he said as he stood up, "Well in that case, I look forward to hearing from you!"

And with one last smile, he turned and walked off towards the stairs leaving a flushed and smiling stupidly Hinata in his wake. She was no longer regretting agreeing to this trip.


	12. Proposal

**Well, somehow a lot of the happy prompts like "smile" and "proposal" just have to end up being a bit angsty. So, sorry, but I actually love how this turned out.**

**I didn't have a chance to edit this like I usually do so let me know if there are any mistakes.**

**Also, I won't be doing the Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy AU because I know next to nothing about those stories. I'll get to work on the next one, though, and will try to make it a little happier!**

* * *

**Day Fourteen: Proposal**

Naruto had everything planned out.

He was not usually someone who liked to plan. In fact, his sensei still called him Konoha's Number One Unpredictable Ninja, but this was for Hinata and he wanted it to be perfect.

So, after talking with her family and their friends, Naruto had his proposal planned down to the last detail.

Now, the hardest part was the wait. They had been together for almost a year and he had never imagined that he could be so happy. When he had initially made the decision to pop the question, he had wanted to do so immediately. After consulting their friends, however, he had decided it would be best to propose to her on her birthday. It would come as a complete surprise because it was only two days after Christmas and she never had anyone make a huge fuss over her birthday. This meant, of course, that he had to wait a few months. The anticipation was worth it, however, when he thought of the look on her face when she saw what he had prepared for her.

As he sat in Kakashi's office one day, going over paperwork and grumbling about lazy Hokages shirking their work by pretending to "train" the future Hokage, he heard a tapping on the window. He looked to see a messenger hawk flapping furiously as it tried to come inside. The Uzumaki opened the window and recognized the insignia on the bird as the one from Suna. More interesting still, the pouch was red, indicating an emergency.

Quickly, Naruto handed the hawk a treat and pulled the scroll out of the pouch, unsure whether or not he should wait until Kakashi got back. He knew that he should, as he was not actually the Hokage, but the message was obviously urgent and it came from one of his best friends, Gaara.

Luckily, Naruto did not have to debate for long because his former sensei soon entered the room through the same window the hawk had come through. He looked at the unopened scroll in Naruto's hand and raised an eyebrow in question.

"It's an emergency summons from Suna," the blond explained, "I haven't opened it so I don't know any details."

Kakashi nodded his head and took the scroll from Naruto's hand, not bothering to dismiss him as he knew that the blond would refuse anyway. Ever since the time the Akatsuki had kidnapped Gaara and almost successfully killed him, the blond was especially sensitive when Suna sent them any communication, emergency or non emergency related.

As Kakashi began to read the scroll, his body tensed and his eyes slid to the man standing next to him. Naruto paled at this reaction and reached for the scroll, which Kakashi immediately relinquished.

_The Konoha team consisting of Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuga Hinata have been admitted to the Suna hospital for treatment of critical injuries._

_At the time they were found, they were closest to Suna so our shinobi brought them back here. Please inform all necessary parties that the proper steps are being taken to ensure the health and safety of aforementioned shinobi._

_If you would like to send a small team to oversee their recovery, we will understand._

_-The Fifth Kazekage_

Naruto felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He could hear the blood rushing through his head and it was becoming hard to focus on the words in front of him.

As he came dangerously close to hyperventilating, he felt two hands grip his shoulders tightly and looked up to see the face of his former sensei. He could tell Kakashi was saying something, but for a minute nothing seemed to make sense. Eventually, the sounds he was hearing began to sound more like actual words.

"Naruto, Naruto. Get a hold of yourself."

The blond shook his head in an attempt to clear it and looked back into the black eyes of the Hokage.

When Kakashi saw that his eyes were actually focusing on his own, he nodded.

"Good, now I need you to stay with me-"

Before he could finish his statement, Naruto interrupted, "I can't stay here! I have to go to her! I have to see her now! What if something happens? What if she-"

His voice cracked and he couldn't say what he was most afraid of happening.

Kakashi just shook his head, "Naruto I wasn't saying that I need you to stay here in Konoha. I just needed you to get your head on straight. I can't responsibly send out a shinobi who is losing his mind."

"Huh?"

"I'm sure you saw the last part of the message. Your friend is giving you the opportunity to come. He knew you would want to watch over your girlfriend and he gave me the okay to send you. Would you like me to send Sakura as well?"

Naruto shifted on his feet, eager to get on his way, but realizing that Sakura would be a good person to have along in case the situation was, in fact, as bad as he was imagining. It's not that he didn't trust Suna's medics, but when you had Tsunade's own personal apprentice on your team for years you get used to knowing you have the best.

Reluctantly, he nodded, wondering if Sakura would let him carry her part of the way as he was faster than her. Kakashi wasted no time in sending for the pinkette and in no time they were zooming out of the gates towards Wind Country.

* * *

They reached Suna in half the time it usually took. Sakura had reluctantly agreed to let Naruto carry her for part of the trip, knowing that he was having a hard time. It wasn't worth having to watch him pout or listening to him beg. Besides, she was also worried about her friends.

The guards had been told to be on the lookout for the Konoha pair so by the time they reached the entrance to the city, Kankuro was already there to greet them. Without them having to ask, he escorted them straight to the hospital.

Sakura checked on them in order of the severity of their injuries. Apparently, Shino had taken a severe beating while Kiba had tried to carry an already badly injured Hinata away on Akamaru. All in all, the three were incredibly lucky to be alive.

While the pinkette spoke to the medical team to find out what had been done for the patients, Gaara made his way over to the hospital, having finished the meeting he was in when they had initially arrived. He told Naruto about what his Suna shinobi had found as well as what they had been able to gather from Team Eight.

However, all thoughts of official investigations and even revenge flew out the window when Sakura came out of Hinata's room to let him know she was awake and able to talk. Gaara nodded at his friend, letting him know that it was alright and that they could continue their discussion later. Naruto shot him an appreciative glance before rushing into Hinata's room.

The sight of his girlfriend laying on the hospital bed, pale and covered in bandages, was terrifying. His teammate had reassured him that she was out of any danger and that she was recovering nicely, but the whole scene was a stark reminder that had anything gone differently he could have _lost_ her.

With uneven breaths and shaky hands, he walked over to her bed, taking her small hand into his own. She had been watching him this whole time, obviously still a little out of it from the pain medication, but alert enough to observe him.

They looked at one another for a few minutes, just confirming for themselves that the other was there.

"I'm sorry," Hinata said quietly.

Her words broke Naruto out of his current state and he had to restrain himself from hugging his still injured girlfriend. Instead he gripped her hand a little tighter and brushed her hair away from her face with his other hand.

He sighed. It was just like her to apologize for something that wasn't her fault just because she saw he was hurting.

"Hina, there's nothing to apologize for. I've heard the preliminary findings and the ambush came out of nowhere. You guys managed to kill a couple of them and one was wounded badly, but still alive and he's in interrogation. From what they could tell, these guys were good. Extremely good. And you guys did everything you could considering you were coming from a very tiring mission."

Hinata just smiled at him, a smile that he had come to cherish greatly over the time they were dating. Naruto felt tears coming to his eyes at the thought that he almost didn't get to see that smile again.

Seeing his eyes water, Hinata became concerned for him, but before she could open her mouth to say anything, he had already started.

"Hinata, I -" Naruto's voice cracked and it was another minute before he calmed down enough to talk.

"I can't lose you," he finally choked out and it broke her heart to see the fear in his eyes.

"Naruto, I'm a kunoichi. I'm going to have to go on missions and they are going to be dangerous. But I promise, I will always do my best to come back to you. I will never leave you of my own volition. And you know I don't go back on my word because -"

"That's our ninja way," he finished for her, though his small smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"It's just, when I heard what had happened I panicked. The idea that I might never see you again was physically painful. And I realized that I can't ever be without you. I need you. I will always need you. Please stay with me."

"I already told you, Naruto, I won't leave you. I'll always be here for you."

"No, I mean stay with me. After this, I don't want you leaving my side. I know you'll have to go on missions at times, but aside from that I want you here. I want to sleep next to you, I want to wake up next to you, I want to go home and know that it's your home, too. I want to know that if you aren't with me, that you will be coming home to me."

Hinata's eyes were wide and glistening with tears of her own.

"Naruto, are you - are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Blue eyes met lavender and his serious gaze said it before he even spoke.

"Hinata, please be my wife."

By now Hinata was crying, but instead of tears of pain they were tears of joy. Her lifelong dream was coming true and she was overwhelmed with happiness.

"Of course! Naruto, I'd be honored."

For the first time since he'd read Gaara's message, Naruto grinned. Not only was his girlfriend okay, but she had just agreed to be his fiancee. From here on out, they would officially belong together.

He thought about all of the things he had prepared and the plans he had had for proposing, but couldn't find it in him to regret doing it right there and then. Apparently, being unpredictable was something that was just a part of his life and when he saw the beautiful smile of his now fiancee, he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**Also, quite a few of you have requested me to continue the last prompt in a kind of story and I'm considering it. I really need to focus on my Hinata Sweetheart story, but if enough of you want a longer Mardi Gras story I think I would enjoy it, too. Just let me know and if there's enough interest I'll see what I can do!**


	13. Personality Switch

**Hello everyone! So, I realize NaruHina month ended a _while_ ago, but I've had so many reviews/favorites/follows on it since January (and especially in the last month or two) that I thought I should post this last one. I had it about half written when the month ended and just left it because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. After all the notifications about the story I went back and rewrote a little bit and finished it up.**

**So, to all of you who continued to be wonderful readers and asked for more, here's the last one I have for this NaruHina month. It can be considered a bit of a continuation of the Meet the Grandparents oneshot or stand on its own. I like how it turned out so thank you for encouraging me to go back to it :-)**

**As another announcement, there were people who were wanting me to continue my Mardi Gras story, so I've decided to do that. It won't be a full story (I've got too many of those going already and I have another AU one in the planning stages), but it'll be a kind of short series. The first chapter will be the same as the oneshot in this series, and I will be posting the new second chapter on Friday. Just wanted to give y'all a heads up since you have all been so nice about it!**

**And now, enjoy!**

* * *

**Day Sixteen: Personality Switch**

When Hinata finally offered Naruto the chance to meet her family, he had eagerly accepted. After all, she had already met his and their relationship was growing ever more serious. She was hesitant at first, stating that she wasn't sure what he would think of them, but he assured her everything would be fine and so they set up a time to have dinner with her family.

And oh, how the tables had turned.

Naruto marvelled at his girlfriend, Hinata, who was talking animatedly with her younger sister, Hanabi, and sister-in-law, TenTen. She was generally rather shy and reserved, but it seemed that being around people she loved and had grown up with did wonders for bringing her out of her shell.

He watched in wonder as she laughed loudly after teasing her sister and admired the way she beamed when TenTen offered to let her touch her pregnant belly. He loved his shy girlfriend and her quiet ways, he truly did, but the way she was acting right now was a side of her he had not yet seen. It was beautiful and the only thing that was really putting a damper on his enjoyment of the moment were the two stern men staring at him as they sat across from him.

It felt almost like a role reversal as Hinata joked and laughed with her sisters while the penetrating looks of her father and brother made the usually exuberant blond shrink in on himself. With men like these in her family, it was no wonder she had been so bewildered meeting his own family.

Naruto couldn't tell whether the happy chatter of the women made the silence between the men more or less awkward. On the one hand, it somewhat masked the fact that they weren't talking. On the other hand, it served as a stark contrast to the stifling silence surrounding the men.

Hinata's eyes had never been anything but kind and expressive, and though the eyes of her cousin and father were identical in color, they were the complete opposite in expression. Naruto felt uncomfortable under their glacial gazes and began to fidget uncomfortably, messing with his hands beneath the table as he broke eye contact and looked to the side.

Normally, Naruto had no patience for uptight bastards like the ones across from him, and he didn't really think twice about their opinions of him. Normally, he would have stared back defiantly and probably made a comment about their attitudes. However, this was Hinata's father and older brother and that made the situation much different. He knew that Hinata cared for their opinions and he was terrified that if he made a bad impression, they would ask her not to see him. Even if she agreed to see him despite that, he didn't want to cause any kind of discord with her family.

Hinata had told him about her life growing up and how her father had been a very hard and demanding man. The Hyugas were famous lawyers and had their own elite firm. Her disposition, however, was too gentle for law and at first Hiashi had attempted to make her into something she wasn't by being rather harsh. Eventually, he had realized the error of his ways, but it had still been rather scandalous when she had announced her desire to become a teacher instead of a lawyer. Gaining her family's respect in a field they didn't consider as prestigious as law had been difficult, but they had grown to understand that she had a gift for what she did. She had even received various awards both from her school and the district regarding her efforts in the classroom.

Naruto knew that her family would much rather she brought home a lawyer or doctor instead of a fellow teacher, and the fact that they were already less than enthusiastic about him was a little intimidating.

Finally reaching his breaking point regarding their silence, he decided to try to start a conversation.

"So, um, Hinata tells me you guys are lawyers?"

The blond cringed as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Seriously? Of course they were lawyers. There wasn't anyone in Konoha who _didn't_ know about the Hyuga law firm. In fact, they were internationally renown.

Hiashi merely raised an eyebrow, and Neji responded with, "Indeed."

"Heh, so maybe you guys are familiar with my best friend? Uchiha Sasuke? He's a lawyer in the Uchiha firm…"

Two sets of ivory eyes narrowed and Naruto realized that was probably not the best thing to bring up. The Uchiha were similar to the Hyuga in that they were lawyers of great renown, and they were often hired to appear on the side opposing the Hyugas. There was quite a rivalry between the two families and now they knew he was good friends with one of the sons of the head of the firm.

"I mean, we're not _best_ friends. Just kind of friends. Acquaintances, really. He doesn't talk much, anyway…"

God, he was rambling now. And they were looking hostile as ever. He snuck a peek over to his girlfriend who was still chatting happily with her sisters. She met his eye and sent him an encouraging smile that made him feel somewhat better.

Hiashi spoke suddenly, tearing his attention away from his beautiful girlfriend and bringing it back to her stoic relatives.

"Hinata tells us you are also a teacher at her school."

It was more of a statement than a question, but Naruto nodded in confirmation anyway.

"I see. How quaint."

It felt as if he wasn't even himself anymore. Instead of feeling indignance at the blatant put down, he felt insecure. What was happening to him?

"And how much do you make doing what you do?"

Naruto muttered the reply, an embarrassed redness tinging his cheeks knowing that his salary was pocket change to men like these.

"Interesting, and you think you will be able to take care of my daughter with what you earn?"

The blond looked down the table to where his girlfriend was eating a rather extravagant meal with impeccable manners. Because she lived on her own he sometimes forgot what a wealthy background she came from. Would she really be okay living off what they made, or would she one day miss that lifestyle and want to go back to it?

Neji, extremely efficient at reading people, zeroed in on his discomfort immediately.

"My sister is accustomed to certain things. I realize she lives more… modestly now than she did when she was home, but you must understand that her upbringing was nothing of the sort. She was raised in a large home, with designer clothes, gourmet food, and lavish parties. Do you really think you can live up to something like that?"

Naruto's breathing began to quicken as he thought back to the times when he had agreed to go to some nicer restaurants with her and how out of place he felt. She would sometimes talk of her travels to Europe, of adventures in Paris and Rome and London. In the past, he had enjoyed her tales of the exotic places, but now he was realizing just how much of a homebody he must seem to a world traveler like herself. Would he ever be able to satisfy her? Would she really want to spend her life with someone like him or was she just biding her time until something better came along?

"You have to understand we want the best for Hinata, and you just might not be it."

The Uzumaki's eyes widened, and he looked up, feeling both shocked and upset that they had been so straightforward about their disapproval. In the past if his parents hadn't liked a girl he brought home, they were at least nice about it.

Suddenly he heard a voice he vaguely recognized as his girlfriend's, but it was much harder than he ever remembered hearing.

"Father, Neji, I assure you that there is no one better than Naruto."

Naruto looked to the side to see that his girlfriend was staring down her male relatives with a look he had never seen on her before. The disappointed expressions on TenTen and Hanabi's faces made it apparent that they had likely heard the last part of the men's conversation. Hinata looked over to him and gave him another one of her sweet smiles, before hardening her expression and looking back at her father and brother.

"I would not have even bothered bringing Naruto here tonight if I knew you were going to belittle him like this."

He was beginning to feel a little embarrassed that she was sticking up for him, since he was usually the one telling her to stick up more for herself, but he was too amazed at this side of her to say anything just yet.

"You told me years ago that you were sorry for how you treated me when I was younger, but as my boyfriend, Naruto is a huge part of my life and belittling him is the same as belittling me and my choices. Now isn't that something you said you were going to stop doing?"

Neji had the decency to look a little sheepish, though that could have also had to do with the glare he was receiving from his pregnant wife. Hiashi, however, had narrowed his eyes as if displeased that his daughter would dare chastise him.

"You have to understand, dear, we merely want to make sure you are being treated in a way that is befitting for someone like yourself."

"Befitting me or you?" Hinata fired right back.

"Naruto has been nothing short of a gentleman since we met. He has encouraged me on countless occasions, shown me a kind of genuine warmth and support that I never knew existed, and above all loved me just as I am. He never asks that I be more or less than who I am and I don't expect anything different from him.

"I have had more fun at a ramen stand with him than I ever had at any of the fancy company parties. I would rather spend one day with him at his home than a week abroad without him. And if you can't accept our relationship then you will be sorely disappointed because I intend to stay with him as long as he will have me."

At this point Naruto's mouth had practically fallen to the floor. He had never heard Hinata be so forceful, even when her class was acting particularly unruly. She always had a quiet way of commanding respect so this was baffling to say the least.

He looked to Hiashi, sure that he was going to be pissed. Instead, the older man was practically expressionless aside from his pursed lips. Finally Hinata's father opened his mouth to speak.

"Very well, I can see that this young man has had quite an effect on you."

Next, something happened that shocked the entire table: Hiashi smiled.

"I am glad you found someone who has made you so happy. I have never seen this side of you before and I want you to know I am very proud of you."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock at those words, having only ever heard them once before in her life. Naruto could see that she was about to cry and rushed to her, taking her in his arms and crushing her to him as if she was his lifeline.

She was usually so quiet, so shy that he hadn't realized that she felt just as strongly about him as he did about her. She was always quick to say she loved him back and certainly did anything she could to take care of him, but hearing that speech from her was like a switch flipping in his head.

It was definitely time to talk to his mom about using her mother's engagement ring. The Uzumaki heirloom was special and he had been waffling on the decision for a few weeks, uncharacteristically afraid of a negative answer from the woman he loved so much. Now, however, he was certain that it was the right thing to do. The only thing he had left to worry about was getting permission from her father, but after tonight he was determined to make it happen.

He hadn't realized that he had been spacing out until he felt Hinata's soft hand on his cheek and looked down, giving her a smile that never failed to make her cheeks flush and knees weak, before kissing her fully on the mouth.

When someone cleared their throat, he couldn't even manage to feel sheepish about their display of affection, he was just so damn happy. He had not been feeling himself this whole time, but her speech had brought him back. Her family was going to like him, whether they wanted to or not, and he was going to spend the rest of his life making Hinata happy.


End file.
